Enjoy Your Kids with Mindful Parenting

We’re all experiencing physical distancing differently. Some of us are enjoying a slower pace and having fun connecting more deeply with our families. Others can’t relate to “slower pace” at all, because they’re working, helping kids with schoolwork, keeping house, and cooking 382 meals a week. Others, still, feel both extremes, careening between boredom and overwhelm. And that’s all okay! No matter where you are on this emotional roller coaster, for Mother’s Day, try to slow down and enjoy your kids. It’s the best gift you could give yourself - and them!

The days are long, but the weeks are short.

It’s true. One minute your kids are sweet-smelling, cooing infants. The next, they’re playing three sports and eating you out of house and home. The time goes by in a flash! The article, “Enjoy Your Kids,” from Pathways to Wellness, is a great reminder to work on being more present and less perfect so your time with your kids won’t pass in a busy blur.

You can be a more present parent, with these helpful tips for mindful parenting:

1. Mindfulness can be messy.
   Those dishes in the sink will still be there in an hour. But your chance to splash in rain puddles with your son may have passed by then. Give yourself permission to make a mess, or put off a chore in favor of making a memory with your child.
   

2. Help when asked.
   You won’t always be able to drop everything to help, but get into the habit early of acknowledging problems and helping your kids find solutions. One day, their problems will be bigger, and you’ll want them to come to you.
   
   Related: Helping Kids Find Balance
   

3. Accept the bad times.
   Tears, temper tantrums, and sibling arguments are just part of the package. When you remember that and understand that worry, hunger, tiredness, or testing limits are at the root of the issue, it’s easier to deal with the bad times.
   

4. Put away the toys. (especially the electronic ones!)
   Whether you’re letting your kids play on devices, or you’re often glued to a screen, it’s time to take a break. Do a craft, play a game, have a chat - do something together that doesn’t involve a phone or computer.
   

5. Keep the conversation going.
   Talking and singing to your little ones builds their vocabulary and improves their ability to learn. So keep up the chatter!
   

6. Relive it through writing.
   Journaling has all kinds of good benefits, but when you write about your kids’ funny saying, temper tantrum over something ridiculous, soccer goal, college acceptance, or school play helps you relive those special moments.

There’s one piece of advice I’ve decided to take—to be present, and to enjoy my child the best I can.

Happy Mother’s Day!