The Baby Parenting Coach » parenting passion http://www.babyparentingcoach.com Personalized Parenting Education and Support Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:11:06 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Mindful Parenting http://www.babyparentingcoach.com/2011/09/mindful-parenting http://www.babyparentingcoach.com/2011/09/mindful-parenting#comments Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:09:32 +0000 Ingrid http://www.babyparentingcoach.com/?p=287 If we define mindfulness as calm awareness of the present moment, it’s easy to see how that frame of mind could serve us well as parents. To be in the moment is in of itself a gift, and then to allow that to be our main way of interacting as a parent takes us into realms of possibility that may be overlooked otherwise. So much of what happens in a typical day with a baby or toddler is spontaneous, is unplanned, and is precious. By precious I mean it is fleeting in the overall developmental stages and growth you will see in your child. A certain way of playing, although it may be incorporated and built on, will never look quite the same as when your 6 month old does it! Being present to experience and enjoy with her is a gift.
However you find to remind yourself, enjoy as many sweet moments in the present as you can. Discernment is a quality that can help maximize your enjoyment. This is the ‘prioritizing’ portion, where your decisions and judgment calls (is it important or necessary to be at the playground “on time” or are your friends mothers who also allow for some ‘flex’ in their scheduling?) and you can choose where to spend more time, when to hurry.
Underneath it all, your own success in self-nourishment as you parent will determine the degree to which you successfully nurture your child. All the images and cliches about taking care of yourself first are valid, and the challenge is to understand your own thresholds and create the combination that works for you. If getting a shower first thing in the morning is key to your feeling good about yourself for the rest of the day, then making that a priority is definitely worth it. If you can delay other things in the interest of flexibility to accommodate your child’s needs, you’ll soon see the opportunity for an exchange. Mindfulness can only occur when you feel relatively balanced and whole yourself, so making it a priority to address your most important needs is a necessity.

Pay attention to and appreciate the positive situations, events, and relationships in your life. Each time you do you’ll reduce the true source of your stress — negative emotions — and be more in the moment.

Become more aware of the situations, events, relationships and thoughts that evoke stressful feelings. Again, choose to be in the present.

]]> http://www.babyparentingcoach.com/2011/09/mindful-parenting/feed 0 Find Your Passion Parenting http://www.babyparentingcoach.com/2009/08/find-your-passion-parenting http://www.babyparentingcoach.com/2009/08/find-your-passion-parenting#comments Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:27:00 +0000 Ingrid http://www.babyparentingcoach.com/?p=33 By age 10 I had pretty much decided, for a variety of reasons, that I was never going to be a mom! It was as much because of tomboy tendencies, a strong desire to be independent, the desire to travel, and of course, the particular influences of my family of origin. I was REALLY comfortable with my decision, and lived my young adulthood with this clearly known to myself and my boyfriends. Marriage was a pretty low priority, also.

It worked well for me until I met my now ex-husband, and at age 33, we married and had my oldest, now 25! Literally from the moment of his birth (and maybe during pregnancy, also), I was on a mission to be the best mom I could possibly be. When I held Taylor at birth, I knew I was entering the most significant undertaking of my life. My joy and amazement at him as a baby launched me on a journey that inspired me to clean up some of my own residual issues. It also gave me the energy and motivation to seek out the best possible options, every step of the way.

Choosing not to circumcise him, breastfeeding him, reading to him, finding the right nursery school (which I loved so much I wanted to spend the day there myself!), encouraging his innate talent for art, and many other choices and decisions were made from an inspired place. So I, the ‘late to motherhood’, reluctant mom became a committed, dedicated, and absolutely passionate mom. Fortunately for me, I went on to have 2 more beautiful children, a daughter and son, and today all three are, quite definitely, the ‘crown jewels’ of my experience here on planet earth!

Although everyone’s parenting experience is unique, we also have a lot in common. Truly, it is an endeavor that offers growth, transformation, and enormous opportunity to be living your passion every day.

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