The art of raising children has been passed down through many generations and has been shaped by each individual’s personal experiences during childhood. While we each have our unique perspectives, hopes and dreams for our children, we must also navigate raising children in today’s culture. Our children are influenced not only by parents, but extended family members, teachers, communities and technology. As our society evolves, so do our roles and responsibilities as parents and caregivers. The relationships we form with our children now will transcend our lifetime as the impact will be passed on to generations to come. Having awareness of our impact on future generations, while being grounded in the present moment, can be a powerful tool in raising children.
Each of us have a unique and wonderful set of strength that is derived from our experiences in our early life. Caregivers bring to the table what they are good at, and gravitate to how they can use those natural strengths in order to parent and raise children. Along with individual strengths, we each have our beliefs and expectations for our interactions with children. While we may not always have joyful experiences with our children, we can control how we choose to respond to challenges. The way we respond to stressful situations is often the reflection of how we learned (or didn’t learn) to self-regulate (monitor our emotions) as a child. Through conscious awareness to our own bodily responses, sensations and emotions we can begin the journey of being the best version of our (parenting) selves.
As a parent, the tendency to nurture our children could override our own needs for self-regulation and self care. We invite you to reflect on the following thoughts and hope you are encouraged by the power you have as one individual in the development of the children of today.
- What is your role as a parent? As an individual?
- Do you have a parenting style or preference?
- Identify triggers (situations or times of day that can triggers higher stress or times when the intensity of you response does not match the situation at hand)
- Are you aware of stress responses and how do you manage your internal stress (self-regulate)?