How to be Present in Parenting
3 minute read.
Being present.
You may here it often in this current wave of mindfulness.
What does be present mean?
Being present means that you are having your focus, attention, thoughts and feelings fixed on what is happening in the moment. In the present, your mind is in the now and your body is in the now.
Being present means you are not on the phone or making dinner and you’re not carrying a conversation with a person next to you. Do you see where I’m going with this?
Being present for your child or children is a state of mindfulness and meditation. I would like to define mindfulness as a state of being when you are paying attention, on purpose, and in the moment in a non-judgmental way.
You can remain present for your child by creating a meaningful narrative for them. We, the parent, are the authors of our children’s story until they become of age to take on that authorship. Here are 3 ways to be present with your child by teaching them how to extract purpose and meaning from their life:
- Make the choice to be present. Presence brings coherence, order, organization and continuity. When we show our children that we are present for big and small moments in their lives, we accompany them on their journey.
- Get into storytelling with your child. Storytelling helps them weave a narrative about themselves and their place in the family unit and in the world. I’m not talking about ready a story book. Instead, I am talking about sharing with your child how they came to be, how they make you feel, how they conquered something with their bravery, and even a mirror into their character. Children love storytelling so much because they are eager to create a vision of how they use to be and how they are becoming. Storytelling is also a wonderful way to speak positive affirmations into their existence.
- Create rituals. Rituals are the reminder of togetherness for the family. With consistent rituals to expect, children develop a sense of stability. As they become adults, they will draw on these rituals for meaning. Perhaps your family sits down for dinner every evening to reflect on the day and record their feelings. This is a wonderful ritual to begin if you need ideas. The sky is the limit for rituals!
It is no secret that parenting has been my way to level up my consciousness. I have done inner work to get to where I am with my level of conscious parenting and there is still so much more work to be done. Raising my children has been my invitation to surrender to a different pace, a different place and a different paradigm. I invite you to take this journey with me. Just like the photo, fall into mindful parenting.
With lots of love,
Charlene