Sometimes being a parent seems like one long to-do list: taking the children to and from school and clubs, arranging babysitters, feeding them and putting them to bed. Parents can feel trapped in a straitjacket of tasks, all of which prevent them spending quality time with their children. Susan Boegels has developed and delivered training on this subject for over twenty years. Now, for the first time, she shares her expertise, along with her experiences as a mother and child, with a general audience. In a series of accessible chapters, she shows how we can find a balance between "doing" and "being" modes when interacting with our children. She also explains how to deal with stress, conflict and guilt, and how to cultivate conscious, unbiased attention in a simple way. Together, the chapters form an 11-week course in mindful parenting, supported by simple exercises and guided audio meditations.
SUSAN BOEGELS is a clinical psychologist and founder of the Mindful Parenting Method. She is Professor of Psychology at the University of Amsterdam and Director of UvA Minds, an academic training and treatment centre for children and parents. She has published over 200 journal papers and is associate editor of the journal Mindfulness. She is lead author of the scholarly book Mindful Parenting: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals (Springer, 2014). This book reflects two decades' experience of working with parents in mindful parenting courses, and leading a research group exploring the role of attention in child development and psychopathology. It was also inspired by memories of her own upbringing and of raising three children, and by her experiences as a participant and instructor in mindfulness retreats, training and personal meditation.
Foreword Preface Introduction 1. Mindful parenting: Being there without prejudice or judgment 2. Being your own parent: Self-care and compassion 3. Parental stress: From surviving to finding breathing space 4. Parental expectations and the true nature of the child 5. Rupture and repair: Deepening the bond 6. Parenting together in good times and bad 7. Setting boundaries: Where I end and you begin 8. Guilt and shame: Forgiving, connecting, apologizing 9. Love is blind: Denial and acceptance 10. Schemas: Re-experiencing your own childhood 11. Lifelong parenting Appendix 1: 11 everyday rules for mindful parenting Appendix 2: Guided audio meditations
