Strengthening Connections in Relationships
and Enhancing Wellbeing through Mindfulness
Mindful Parenting
Our Mindful Parenting Workshops and Courses combine Mindfulness and Compassion practice with elements of positive parenting concepts. They give parents and carers time and space to reflect and develop skills which can enhance the relationship they have with their child and improve all aspects of their family life.
We have developed our courses using the extensive knowledge and experience we have gained from working with families.
We aim to offer a fresh, down to earth approach and create a nurturing safe space, where parents can gain support, develop in confidence, feeling reassured that they are not alone in dealing with the unpredictable ups and downs
of parenting.
We contact each parent before each course to introduce ourselves, find out a bit about their circumstances and hopes for attending.
During our courses parents and carers will learn positive ways to manage the competing daily challenges that all families experience. The interactive sessions support parents to develop skills which can help them to respond in a more calm, effective and thoughtful manner, leading to more positive interactions and enjoyable moments with their children.
Each session parents participate in a range of mindfulness practices and relaxation exercises specially chosen to help acknowledge and cope with stress, conflict and difficult emotions. Elements of compassion are threaded throughout, nurturing the importance of understanding, acceptance and kindness.
Different aspects of parenting are explored throughout the sessions, helping parents to tune into what's really going on, rather than focusing on strategies for specific behaviours contained in traditional parenting programmes. Parents are sensitively encouraging to take part in reflections and discussions about their experiences, helping them to gain insight, acceptance and create opportunities for change.
Notes of each session are provided along with audio recordings of the meditation practices covered and if participants can regularly practice these at home, in between sessions, they will gain the greatest benefit from the programme.
We believe everyone can benefit from Mindful Parenting, whatever their situation, family circumstances and regardless of their experience of Mindfulness. Our courses build on the existing strengths of all parents and carers.
‘The most precious gift we can offer others
is our presence.
When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers’
Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindful and Compassionate Parenting:
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Improves communication and interactions between parents and children and within the whole family
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Gives parents a better understanding and acceptance of their children’s individual needs and find the most effective ways to support them
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Encourages parents to pay closer attention to and appreciate the present moment
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Helps parents develop skills to cope with everyday challenges
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Supports parents to regulate their emotions and avoid over reactions
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Gives parents tools to deal with stress and unpredictability, resulting in a calmer environment
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Provides insight into some of the helpful and unhelpful dynamics, triggers and patterns of behaviour within the family
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Has enormous benefits to all family relationships and positively impacts on all aspects of life
Through parents attending and practicing Mindful Parenting there can be a reduction in behavior problems, anxiety and low mood in their children (Bogels and Restifo, 2014).
