One Simple Trick Can Help You Be A Better Parent

There are countless pressures and stressors put on families today, and parents often feel lost about how to simply take time to slow down.

There are hundreds of parenting tips in books and online, and countless opinions from friends and family on how to be the best parent possible.

But perhaps the most important thing a parent can do is to take a moment to breathe, reflect, and regroup.

Meditation is often viewed as one of those “out there” philosophies, conjuring up images of sitting on a cushion and chanting nonsensical words.

But meditation is a vital parenting tool, and includes prayer and simple quiet times of reflection which can benefit both parent and child.

Green Child Magazine reported on some of the positive effects gained by taking a moment out of a busy day to meditate — a time to reflect and calm down can be the best thing you ever do for your child.

Being non-reactive:

Learning to pause and listen to the information contained within thought is an invaluable parenting tool.

Mindfulness:

Mindfulness simply means we are aware of the choices we are making in the moment. This kind of awareness helps us to be more purposeful in our parenting decisions.

Growing compassion:

An expanding sense of self naturally leads to a more open heart. By stilling the mind, releasing ego identification, and expanding our awareness we are able to access our inner compassion

Being present in the moment:

It takes us away from a futuristic focus and plants us squarely in the only moment we ever have with our child…NOW.

Calmness:

Our own cultivation of peace will influence our children more than any other single factor.

Prayer is also meditation in that it grants parents a few calm moments to bring awareness of their stresses and needs, and to ask for the patience and calmness to be a model for our children.

Being prayerful as a family and teaching your child to build their faith through prayer is also an incredibly powerful parenting tool.

Prayer teaches your child to give their cares and concerns to God, and realize that not everything will be in their control.

Prayer and peaceful family moments of meditation are a great coping technique for the stresses of everyday life — for both parent and child — and will strengthen family relationships and shared experiences.

More than anything else, prayer and meditation teaches parents to live in the moment and enjoy each day with our children.

As parents, we often focus on just getting through the day, thinking ahead to a far away time when our children will be more self-sufficient, easier, and calmer.

But fast-forwarding through these precious years causes parents to miss out on the special times of each day as a family.

Growing up, our mothers told us to “take a deep breath and calm down.”

This holds true for today’s busy parents, and will teach your children a valuable life lesson on staying calm during stressful situations — and will help you enjoy every crazy moment of your parenting journey.