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 Children of all ages are now using devices, not just phones but also iPads and Games. You may need to get more educated on what the concerns are by reading up on the different devices and the pros and cons associated with each one. When you know what your options are, and have talked with your child, you can choose from a variety of ways to help your child use these devices with the awareness that they can invite harm and unsafe situations.
Have you had a cyber-chat with your kids? As you talk with them, you may find it more empowering not to instill any fear or consequences, but rather to ask questions about what they know and what are they aware of. This is another opportunity to empower your child. It may also be a good place for parents to become more aware of the ways that they choose to use technology. What if using technology need not be a thing to fear but to be in awareness of just like everything else in life? In addition to being in the know about each type of device, you may want to use the following as a guide when talking to your child. It is recommended that you not just have this chat once, but continue to revisit it as you gain more knowledge. Simple Steps to Simple Parenting- Too Good to BE True?  Simple parenting? Not a reality right? After all parenting is the hardest job there is on this planet!
Are you making that so real for you that you can't experience more ease with parenting? I used to think that too and as I raised my 3 sons and then added in 2 step children, I became a master at making life as hard I could. I was a master at:
I had taken all I could take, and I made the demand that things change. Then I began asking questions and bit by bit my life and my relationship with my kids began to take on a different way of being. As I let go of the belief that being a parent was hard, more ease has become a reality. Who knew that using some simple pragmatic tools and techniques could have such a profound effect on my life? Enjoy a few minutes of receiving the Goodness of today with this meditation. My gift to you!
What if each day invites you to receive the goodness of the Day? Are you willing to receive that? What if what keeps one from receiving this Good Day is one's judgments, expectations, conclusions and fears? Each day is full of infinite possibilities to allow one to receive more from each day. What if having a different response to the happenings of the day allow one to receive more fully all that the day is offering? What if parents around the world were focusing more on receiving the goodness of the day? What difference would that make in their child's life? What would a child know about creating a good day from a parent's example? If your target is to be HAPPY, what can you choose that will give you more? The choice is yours to choose.  Or to be more specific, what is the purpose of my life?
As I moved into adulthood years ago, this question kept whispering in my ear. Surely I must have a purpose, I kept thinking. So I reflected: Growing up, I leaned on the adults in my life to show me about life’s purpose. I am not so sure that many of them really knew themselves. They all followed what was taught about being a good person, about contributing to the world, having compassion and going from day to day. I was keenly aware that there was a lot of emphasis on being a parent and raising kids to be good. For some people this all seemed to be enough. BUT for many others, myself included, something was missing, something so crucial that the question about the purpose of life kept surfacing. My quest of pursuing my life purpose by being good, doing what was “right”, helping others, and raising my kids to be good people, left me feeling empty. Naughty or Nice or Misunderstood?? As the holidays approach parents will notice that kids may begin to act out. There are many reasons why this may occur. In my own curiosity, I became aware of a phenomenon that we as parents and society create that may well be a major part of the reason why kids' behavior changes at this time of year.
Holiday Traditions- You choose! Ah the holidays. Families and friends begin the rituals of making their holidays cheery and bright. For many people this means fulfilling traditions that have been handed down from year to year. And not just at Christmas time, but every holiday. Thanksgiving, Easter, birthdays, Halloween, and the 4th of July.
Being that this is the winter season, I recall when my kids were young doing the same traditions every year for no other reason than because that is the way we always did it. We always opened gifts on Christmas Eve. We always had clam chowder for our dinner on Christmas Eve and ham on Christmas Day. I always sent out cards, baked cookies, bought gifts, decorated the tree and the house. I wonder in what ways did these traditions contribute to our celebration of the season. I do know that many of the traditions often brought on a lot of stress as I tried each year to figure out how to fit all of the activity into my hectic schedule. If I allowed myself the option to forego something, I would feel guilty for not celebrating enough and that perhaps someone would think ill of me. Certainly, some of these traditions had the potential to bring joy and fun to the holidays if I could do them in the spirit of joy. My lesson about traditions came to me when...  This article provides techniques that parents can use to figure out why they are fatigued and treat the root causes while caring for their special needs child.
As the parent of a special needs child, you feel like your plate is always full. After years of doing everything you can to support your child, you’re exhausted - and you still don’t feel like you can take a break. But taking care of yourself allows you to become a truly empowered parent and set a better example for your child. Resources from Be You Parenting can help you make choices that support your overall wellbeing. In addition, these practical tips will help you come up with self-care strategies for preventing and treating fatigue.  Developing intimate and joyful relationships is key to building family wholeness. Developing loving and kind relationships is something most parents want for their children. Parents who continue to work on their own relationship-awareness demonstrate that each person continues to grow and evolve through self-discovery.
A parent can unknowingly project their own hurts and experiences of their past relationships onto their kids which in turn can cause some unhealthy behaviors and experiences for them as they move into developing relationships. A father that I encountered had developed a belief that women couldn’t be trusted based on his relationship with his ex-wife. He held onto that for years, and shared that belief with his son who in turn didn’t trust women and had all kinds of difficulties in school. Thus it is vital that parents who want to raise their children to have meaningful relationships, be aware of what past beliefs, hurts, doubts and fears they may be passing onto the next generation.  Many children are returning to school this fall with the mandate to wear a mask. What a wonderful opportunity to empower yourself and your child.
Regardless of your opinions regarding masks, you can model for your child the power you each have over how you respond to such mandates. To be empowered, we must remember that the key for success is to keep our vibrations high. We do that by choosing thoughts and words that lift our spirits and those around us. You can help your child understand the difference in vibration by checking in with how it feels when you complain, pout, be angry, feel hopeless. How does it feel when you laugh, focus on what is fun, be grateful, sing and dance? Ask them to notice how being in a low vibration affects those around them. How does being in a high vibration affect those around them? Who do you prefer to share time with - someone vibrating with high or low energy? This will bring more awareness to the power we have to change things for the better. Thoughts of gratitude and appreciation for being able to return to school, enjoy friends, be healthy, etc. raise our vibration. Life is meant to be enjoyed- how much fun can we have with our masks? A different one for each day of the week, favorite colors, designs, etc. Involve your child in making it more enjoyable. When we find joy in living, our vibration goes up. Your child will learn from you, so be the model of high vibration - bringing joy, possibility, kindness, compassion, love and peace as your response. When we respond this way, we are empowered to make a difference for the better. |
Mary Dravis-ParrishMary shares her desire to create different possibilities for families and individuals who are looking to live a more conscious and aware lifestyle. BE YOU Parenting is for parents who want to BE all that they truly BE and to allow their kids the same privilege. Archives
April 2022
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