being.HOW CONSCIOUS PARENTING IS LEARNED
A conscious parent doesn’t look outside the parenting relationship for
answers, but is confident the answers can be found for both parent and
child within the parent-child dynamic. For this reason, conscious
parenting is learned through the actual experience of relating to our
children, not through reading books that offer quick fixes or taking
classes that specialize in techniques. The conscious approach embodies
values that emanate from the relationship. Of course, to parent this way
requires the full and willing participation of the parent, for only through
interaction with the parent’s own developing consciousness can change
take place within a child.
This approach takes the relationship between parent and child as it is,
then introduces the element of awareness. In other words, conscious
parenting uses ordinary, moment-by-moment engagement with our
children to foster authentic connection. Because this approach is highly
relational, it can’t be packaged like a prescription. Rather, as stated
earlier, it’s a life philosophy, which means that each lesson is
intrinsically connected to every other lesson, so that nothing stands
apart, isolated from the fabric of the family unit.
Using the present moment as a living laboratory, everyday interactions
have the potential to teach invaluable lessons. The most ordinary of
moments provide us with opportunities to nurture self-definition,
resilience, tolerance, and connectedness, all of which spring from
presence. There’s no need for grand interventions or staged strategies.