As both a mom and a Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Laura Markham sounds two clear themes in her advice to parents. The first is that when we feel good, we're better parents. Quite simply, we can only give what we have inside. That's why her daily parenting inspiration emails are about how to take better care of ourselves and manage our own emotions.
Her other theme is that parenting effectively always depends on our connection to our kids. Without that connection, we have little influence ("My kids won't listen!") and, frankly, parenting becomes an exhausting, thankless task.
Deepening our connection with our kids and keeping it strong as they grow is the work of parenting. Of course kids need guidance, but that only sticks if the connection is there to support our teaching. Dr. Markham definitely encompasses, through her parent-teaching, the ideals and principles of a Conscious Parent intent on encouraging a Conscious Family unit.
""The reason a child will act unkindly or cause damage is always innocent. Sometimes she is playful and free spirited, and other times, when aggressive or angry she is unhappy or confused. The more disturbing the behaviour, the more the child is in pain and in need of your love and understanding. In other words, there is no such thing as bad behaviour in children. Instead there is a child who is doing the best she can and we don’t understand her.” – Naomi AldortGo here to read the rest of the article.
I talk to parents about their children all day, every day. Parents are often shocked when they hear that I don’t believe in most of what we think of as discipline (spankings, consequences, timeouts) because it keeps kids from becoming responsible, self-disciplined people. “How will my child learn how to behave?” they ask. My answer is that children learn what they live...."
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