Parenting Challenges, Mindful Parenting, Positive Parenting Techniques

Parenting is hard!

Overview

Parenting challenges are unavoidable. Although it can be the most rewarding experience in our lifetime, parenting can also be the most challenging and stressful role we ever take on. In stressful moments, our children push all our buttons, evoke all our insecurities, and test all our limits. The stress and uncertainty about how to help our children can be overwhelming, affecting our relationship with our spouse and many other aspects of daily life—at home, in school, in friendships, and engagement in our communities.

Through the philosophy of mindful parenting, our expert clinicians have helped many parents transform their relationships and deepen their connection with their children.

What is mindful parenting?

Emotional awareness is the foundation of mindful parenting. Strong emotions have a powerful influence on our thoughts and behaviors, and these, in turn, can negatively impact our parenting practices. Mindful parenting involves staying connected with our children, moment-to-moment, and trying to understand what our children are telling us beyond the surface. Parenting mindfully allows us to identify and regulate our emotions. It emphasizes a non-judgmental stance, and the focus is on what the child is trying to convey and what their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors bring up for us.

Positive Parenting Techniques

By learning and applying positive parenting techniques, we become better able to choose how to respond rather than reacting automatically (and sometimes unhealthily). Parents can increase their ability to parent calmly, warmly, and in ways that are more consistent with their family values and goals. Mindful parenting contributes to a more positive relationship with your child and a decreased level of stress.

Parenting in this manner is not always easy: everyday challenges make it difficult to be mindful in the moment and to cultivate a positive relationship with your children. For example, you may often simply feel overwhelmed, over-tired, stressed out, and unable to take the steps you’d like in your relationship with your child. Or you may have difficulty handling conflict or their unique needs. Perhaps you feel as though you’ve lost your sense of purpose or independence since becoming a parent, that your child doesn’t respect you, or that you and your partner are at odds about how to best raise your child.

You are not alone. Many parents feel this way.

Parent Child Relationship Therapy

Greenwich Psychology Group’s expert clinicians help teach and apply behavior management techniques for parents. We have helped many parents build connections with their children that enhance self-esteem, inner strengths, and abilities. In therapy, parents learn how to reduce parenting stress and develop skills that can break negative cycles. But, mindful parenting is not only about learning a new skill set: it is a way of living that can help you form long-lasting, deep, and emotionally rewarding relationships with your children.

Have questions? Ask our experts.

Take the GPG Symptom Checker

At Greenwich Psychology Group, our symptom checker helps clients track their symptoms of depression or anxiety. Taking the assessment doesn't provide a formal diagnosis, but it can help you determine what next steps you may need to take. The evaluation uses a series of questions to review the feelings and symptoms you've experienced over the past two weeks. The results will help you distinguish if professional help is the best next step.

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