Conscious Parenting

Raising an Emotionally Healthy Child

Conscious Parenting is the hardest and most important job anyone can do. Anyone can have a child, but raising an emotionally healthy child is a mystery to many parents. Our children are growing up with high pressure, violence, pop culture that places value on materialism and perfect looks. Our children are suffering from stress, anxiety and depression more than ever. We need to provide a safe haven of sanity to nurture our children's self-esteem.

Essential Parenting Wisdom

• Teach by Example. Your children are watching your every move. Be true to yourself, and compassionate with yourself.
• Listen. Listen. Listen, before you react or rush to give advice. Conscious parenting is rooted in the wisdom that can only come from being a good listener.
  
• Respect your child as you would your best friend.
• Don't accept violence or abuse from your child, or anyone else. But learn what is age-appropriate behavior and know the difference between aggressive behavior and violent behavior.
• Corporal punishment (spanking, slapping, hitting, etc) as a form of discipline is proven to cause the same long-term damaging affects as child abuse. It induces emotional trauma. This is why it is outlawed in dozens of countries.
  
• Teach patience by being patient. Restraint by having restraint. Teach love and respect by offering love and respect. You can still be firm and in charge!
  
• Don't look to your children to fulfill your needs for approval, or your sense of purpose. Live your own life and let them live theirs.
• Children secretly blame themselves for your unhappiness. Make your happiness a top priority, and never shame or blame your child for your problems.
• Conscious Parenting is Mindful parenting. Practice mindfulness, patience and trust.
• Accept your children as they are, and be wary of any desire that arises in you to change your child. Teach radical acceptance.
• Accept and love yourself with all your faults and imperfections, and do the same for your children.
• Children are naturally "in the moment." Learn to be there with them... We spent childhood wishing we were grown up, and now work ourselves to death as adults, wishing for the simple joy of childhood. We work so that we can have time to relax and enjoy the moment. Why not do it now! Learn the power of innocence and play. Our children have much to teach us.

"The confident parent is not the one who knows how to parent in every situation. The confident parent is the one who knows that knowledge will emerge in the midst of the situation. The parent's mind is free of complications, ready to respond without preconceptions. This parent will always act rightly."

William Martin from The Parent's Tao Te Ching