Parenting in our exceedingly connected, wired world can leave mothers, fathers, and caretakers alike wondering how to manage it all. The fast pace of life, combined with the use of multiple devices draws our attention away from our loved ones. At the same time, many of us notice our inner world beckoning us back for deeper connection. What actions do we take to find peace amidst it all?
We have all observed with sadness entire families with their heads down in a device ... barely noticing one another other. What if we took those moments to take a breath and set an intention to let the human beings we love take precedent over electronic devices, as Hands Free Mama Rachel Macy Stafford suggests?
Our breath and presence alone is unlikely to unwind our own childhood patterns. As parents, we must also work to get in touch with those parts of ourselves that we have forgotten, discover where we have been wounded, and commit to new ways of being and living in the world, as Dr. Shefali Tsabary so skillfully suggests. Easier said than done, but nonetheless an honorable commitment to make as a parent or caregiver.
My path to conscious parenting began many years ago, and although I've come a long way, it still feels as if I have so much more to learn. Perhaps for most of us, the willingness to be open to learning coupled with investigating our internal worlds is the easiest first step. Knowing what we don't know allows for curiosity and wonder to play their parts in the way we raise our children.
When my eldest son was only three years old, I asked him to tell mommy if ever he thought I needed to breath and take a break. I was dumbfounded by how often I would hear his little voice saying "breathe, Momma." I would look at him, say thank you, and take a centering breath so he could see my energy shift and calm. He was my teacher then, and he remains one of my greatest teachers now.
Many in the Wisdom 2.0 Community share an inner compass pointing us to the need for a new paradigm in the way we navigate this journey called "parenting." We will explore this topic and many more at this year's conference, beginning February 14 in San Francisco, California.
Tickets are still available for the day-long Children, Family, and Parenting Intensive on Monday February 17th. You can find more information here.
This post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post and Wisdom 2.0 in conjunction with the fifth annual Wisdom 2.0 Conference, held this weekend (Feb. 13-16, 2014), in San Francisco. Wisdom 2.0 is the premier event exploring the intersection of wisdom and technology. For more information about the conference, visit www.wisdom2conference.com. To see all the posts in the series, read here.