Turn On Your Parent Power

​Turn On Your Parent Power

Do you ever feel that you are dominated by the demands of parenting, the expectations of what it means to be a parent, and the overwhelm of meeting the needs of your family?
It may feel as if your power source is depleted or even turned off, leaving you full of doubt, confusion and maybe even isolated. Your energy level is not what you would like it to be.  Parent power isn’t about controlling your child or life’s situations. It is about being able to be empowered to weather any storm with confidence, joy, energy and assurance?
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Let’s explore what it takes to get your power turned on.

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Do you even know what your power is? Many people shy away from acknowledging that they have any power, simply because they associate it with having power over others. This is not what we are looking to turn on. And if you have been resistant to being in your power because you have been on the receiving side of being controlled by others, now may be a great time to release that and to see your power as an energy that will ignite, invite and support you and others.

What would you find if you stripped away the judgments, fears, worries, guilt, shame and other feelings that keep you from acknowledging your power to parent? These are the things that have turned your power off. And maybe you have been disconnected from being you for a long long time- so long you have forgotten you even had any power.
Do you find that you compare yourself to other parents, your own parents? Are you always trying to live up to some expectation of what it means to be a parent, without having much regard for what you and your child need? What if one of your most potent powers was the POWER TO KNOW?
 
Yes, what if you know more than you think you do? I remember thinking that everyone knew more than I did, so I allowed them to tell me what to do, when to do it and how. That included how to parent my children. After the death of my son, I realized that I knew more about my son than any of the experts, and I often wonder how things might be different if I had allowed myself to turn on my POWER TO KNOW. While I can’t go back and change those events, I can go forward and tune into what I know, listen to what I know, ask questions to access more of what I know and to trust my knowing. Because I had this power turned off for soooo long, there are still times that my doubt will come to test me, and I sometimes allow it. Mostly, though, I am much better at turning to asking questions to keep me on track. That is another power, I discovered I had- CHOOSING TO ASK QUESTIONS. 

This power has helped me so much as a parent. It has allowed me to ask questions that have guided me to know what is required of me as a parent and now as a grandparent. I now trust when it is time to reach and call one of my kids, when my granddaughter needs to be fed, when to offer advice or not, and when to and how to care for myself. So many ways that I have found more ease and joy as a parent.

So how do we release and let go of those things that drain our power- judgments, fears, worries, guilt, shame? Here are some ideas for you to play with:
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1. Acknowledge what is true and what isn’t. Recognize these concepts as lies and distractions that keep you from being YOU. Claim and own what is true and what your true powers are.
2. Make a list of your powers- here are some more that you might see in yourself: Kindness, Gratitude, Caring, Nurturance, Allowance of self and others, Trust, Honor, Truth, Knowing, Gifting and Receiving, Connection, Curious, Compassion, Freedom to Choose, Brave, and Willing to Be What it Takes. What would you add to this list?
3. Take one or two of your powers that need some attention and begin to focus on turning those powers on. For example, I saw that being grateful for everything was a power of mine that was running pretty low. I began a 28 day gratitude practice, and it has ignited my other powers.
4. Be committed to turning on your power. You have to acknowledge the value of being all of you and being an empowered being. Our kids today need us to show up- powered up and ready to go. They will challenge us. The first thing I look at when there is a conflict with a loved one, is where am I not being empowered (which power do I need to turn on)? It is surprising how much that makes a difference in handling issues, especially with kids. They know how to trigger you when your power is turned off.

Turning on your parenting power will help you in all areas of your life. Your powers are accessible whenever you choose. This is another power you have- The POWER TO CHOOSE! What would it be like if you made choices from your knowing, your awareness so that work more for you?
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The more you use them, the more you will see the changes you are asking for to appear. And you will also be encouraging your child to acknowledge and use their powers. Wouldn’t it be great if they didn’t turn their power off and forget that it exists?

Tune in to the Be You Parenting episode replay below - Turn On Your Parent Power and experience turning on YOUR power. 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay