discipline – Parenting with a Mindful Heart

Anyone who has been to my home knows that I like things in their place. I find it calming to create order in my home. A peaceful, organized home provides the mental space and energy to be more fluid and spontaneous in my life. An ordered home is also an important element to my approach to parenting.

Children need peaceful, loving environments in which they can explore and play. The openness and calm of an organized home allows one to focus their energy and mindset- whether in the act of play, reading or working. Stress is minimized in the home with ordered surroundings which supports positive family interpersonal interactions. Children are invited to rise to the moment with their best behavior in a peaceful home. They develop a sense of order and meditative expression in the act of tidying.

I’m sure that you’ve had that moment when you’re trying to rush out the door already late and your child turns to you and says “I want to take my Elsa doll.” The pressure of timing is weighing on one side of you and yet your little one has just made a simple request. It very well could have been the words “I want to put my shoe on myself” or “I’m not done playing with my blocks” that were coming out of their mouth. The words that always ring in my ears are “Is it reasonable?”

If I say that I want my children to become strong and independent, then I need to build their confidence and self-worth in the small moments throughout our day. It is in those moments in which I can honor their request – their voice – that I am showing them that their opinion and preferences matter to me. I want them to feel comfortable speaking their mind and knowing that I care and that I’ll listen. It is my hope that validating their independence in these small moments will give them the courage to come to me as they grow older and life becomes more challenging.

Parenting with a Mindful Heart

Category: discipline

Create order in your home and calm in your heart

A guiding question: “Is it reasonable?”