This episode from Family Guy perfectly summarizes parenting on most days. Being constantly present for your child physically and emotionally makes parenting one of the most stressful jobs in the world. From toddler tantrums to talking back, maintaining your calm as parents in these moments seems like an impossible feat. What is mindfulness in parenting?The concept of mindfulness in parenting ensures that the physical and emotional toil of parenting does not get in the way of bringing up a well-rounded child. Mindfulness is a choice that one makes to consciously remind oneself to remain in the present moment irrespective of what is happening around. Mindfulness guides parents to be fully present in the moment rather than having to react based on past or present occurrences. Mindful parenting reinforces being completely present with yourself and your child. This allows the parent to be more calm, composed, aware, and non-reactive. And for the child, it implies a parent who is a secure emotional anchor. Quite often as a parent we are quick to respond to our child’s reactions. Turning a no into a yes and yelling at them when a situation is out of our control, we forget to play a role in modelling emotional regulation in our children. Instead, when we focus on the present moment we focus on our emotions, and our thoughts, and reflect on our child’s hurt feelings rather than on unrealistic expectations from our child. How to practice mindfulness in parenting?Before we dwell on strategies to practice mindfulness, it is important to understand 4 important concepts in mindfulness:i) Self-awareness - Mindfulness is a concept easier to talk about than to put into practice. In order to tune into your child’s emotions and emotional responses you need to be aware and attuned to what buttons push you and what you feel in response to your child’s behaviour. ii) Self-regulation - It is not just important to be aware of what feelings one is experiencing but also to be able to remain with those feelings and avoid reacting instantly. iii) Empathy - It is not always easy to non-judgmentally look at things from your child’s perspective, be it a toddler or an adolescent. However, being able to understand what your child is experiencing and expressing will also allow them to validate their emotions. iv) Active listening - “To be understood as to understand” This phrase emphasizes the true need to understand and listen to what your child is trying to communicate to you, both verbally and non-verbally. Now that we have understood the concepts of mindfulness let us look at some practices to mindfully parent. Pause…ReflectOne effective way to practice mindfulness, parenting or otherwise, is to first pause what you are doing and then reflect on what is happening. Quite often when our children are throwing a tantrum or misbehaving, it puts us in a state of alarm. We feel a need to bring the situation under control, often resulting in us losing our tempers and reacting. Instead when we take a moment to pause and observe the situation, we are holding space for ourselves, our thoughts, and for our children. When we reflect we are able to calmly resolve the situation and help our children regulate their feelings. Deep breathesDuring parenting, moments of overwhelming feelings are ample. Ever given notice of your breathing in these moments? If you give a close look at it you will notice your breathing getting heavy. Practicing breathing techniques such as ratio breathing or triangle breathing could help you distract yourself for a brief moment while you gather your thoughts. Self-compassionAs parents, we are quick to be judgmental of our inadequacies in parenting. It would be helpful to remind ourselves in those moments that no one is a perfect parent, we have our days of good and bad parenting moments. Practicing self-compassion is not easy if we constantly have a critical inner talk. These tools are of course easier said than done. Mindfulness may seem daunting and complicated to practice at first. However, incorporating these principles into your daily life may help you remain calm and kind to not just your children but also to your own self. Of course, mindfulness is not a foolproof parenting tool, especially in a situation of crisis. However, employing mindfulness jointly with other parenting strategies will help you coregulate with your child and increase your bond with them. Contributed by Saritha Kashyap, Practicing psychologistCarpediem EdPsych Consultancy LLPResourceshttps://psychcentral.com/health/mindful-parenting#definitionhttps://www.headspace.com/mindfulness/mindful-parentinghttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25633828/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282390643_Mindful_Parenting_and_Parents'_Emotion_Expression_Effects_on_Adolescent_Risk_Behaviors

When we talk about the parent-child relationship the focus primarily remains on toddlers but adolescents are of an age group who struggle with establishing their identity. They also need support from parents to deal with the changes they are going through. No parent and adolescent make it through the 10 to 12 years of coming-of-age period without frequently going through times when they are unhappy with themselves and one another as youth continually transforms. Adolescence can be taxing for both parties as growing apart makes them more distant.Whenever we talk about the adolescent age group, the adjectives which adults use are “moody”, “irritable”, “choosy”, “stubborn”, “non-accommodating,” etc., but had we sat and discussed with them why they behave in a certain way?Globally, it is estimated that 1 in 7 (14%) 10-19 year-olds experience mental health conditions, yet these remain largely unrecognized and untreated. Adolescents with mental health conditions are particularly vulnerable to social exclusion, discrimination, stigma (affecting readiness to seek help), educational difficulties, risk-taking behaviours, physical ill-health, and human rights violations. The data states that children of this age group are more vulnerable and can easily get influenced by distractions around them. They are constantly struggling to “fit in” in the peer group and competition to prove themselves. The shift from childhood to teenage is not easy for parents as well as the youngsters. It's very important that parents understand the challenges of the youngsters. To make the journey smooth with the children, parents can remember and practice to be a PLANNER with the following :Be patientBe a listener Acknowledge their challenges  Become approachable Being non-judgmentalAlways empathize Being respectfulSome of the benefits parents might observe in their children after practicing PLANNER are:Encourages the growth of the child's mind, language, and emotions.Encourages the child to display upbeat and self-assured social behaviors'Better social and intellectual abilities are built on healthy parental participation and intervention in the child's daily life.A strong relationship influences healthy social, emotional, cognitive, and motivational growth. When kids have a good relationship with their parents, they develop great problem-solving abilities.Contributed by Dr. Archana SharmaDr. Archana Sharma, Founding partner & practicing psychologistCarpediem EdPsych Consultancy

“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform” – Diane Mariechild. It’s that time of the year again when women are celebrated worldwide but sadly the show lasts only for a day. What the world overlooks is that women need to be celebrated every day for not only who she is but also for everything that she does, but they never get noticed for it.For ages women have either been neglected or completely ignored by society, expecting them to act and behave in a particular way. When women did not meet the societal standard they were termed as ‘loud’, ‘ill-mannered’ and ‘uncultured’ but is that all there is to being a woman? Determining things just by the way she talks and presents herself? A woman is a reason for the emergence of life. She nurtures, cares and protects her ménage which in itself is a great responsibility, along with managing her household. Sometimes she also chooses to work outside contributing to the family’s finances. Yet, with all these qualities and contributions women are still considered weak, incapable and fragile. In most societies, women are expected to make all the sacrifices and adjustments without even being asked for their opinion. Discrimination against women is still high be it in the workplace, society or even in their own homes. So how does this justify celebrating her on one special day in a year? Praising her achievements on a particular day, pampering her with gifts and charms, and accommodating her just for a day aren’t enough. Focus on her mental well-being, ask her if she is happy with the life she is living. If not, what can you do to change it? Lend a helping hand whenever she needs it and not just when you feel like it. Research says most women lack nutrition that’s necessary for a healthy body. They tend to lose more lean muscle mass over time due to age and childbearing. Women are also at a higher risk of anemia, osteoporosis and other nutritional deficiencies. Ensure that she never skips a meal as this will help maintain her energy level throughout the day. With so much happening around them, most women do not have the luxury of spending some alone time. Stress and anxiety also drain her energy, hence accommodating her to make time for herself by exercising, listening to music or even talking to friends, this could be a blessing to her. Most of all they only need your understanding, a little support, wide respect and the recognition they deserve.Women! They are strong and hardworking, they look out for you, inspire and empower you. They are the ones who make sure that your life is running smoothly and steadily without any glitches. Hence, it is only fair that you celebrate them not just on one day but every single day, throughout their lifetime and throughout yours.Contributed by Clarin Simon BrownMental Health Practitioner, Carpediem EdPsych Consultancy LLP

Published in: npr

Being a teenager is hard. Every day holds the possibility of emotional highs and lows, and parents don't always know how to be supportive.Clinical psychologist Lisa Damour says instead of jumping into problem-solving mode, parents can learn to ride the wave of emotional management with their teens.(Image Credit: Image by Freepik)

Published in: US News

Kids and teens are struggling with their mental health in America, and one new report suggests the overinvolvement of parents may be partly to blame.(Image Credit: Image by pch.vector on Freepik )

Published in: TechNewsWorld

Microsoft just announced that it’s putting generative AI into Windows 11, but we are still at the very beginning of the changes access to this technology will bring.Some jobs will get easier, some more valuable, and many will become obsolete. No matter what you do for a living, there is a good chance AI, specifically generative AI, will significantly impact both what you do and how you do it.(Image Credit : Image by jcomp on Freepik )