My six year old son gets up really early every morning. This morning he said to me, “Do you know why I get up so early? So that I can hear the birds singing. This morning I heard a mommy and her baby singing.” I thought to myself, how zen of him!?
The enso is a sacred symbol in the Zen school of Buddhism. It is a circle that symbolizes absolute enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe and the void.
So, what is zen parenting?
- Trusting your instincts
- Focusing on what’s working
- Finding a healthy life balance
- Communicating effectively
- Taking care of yourself for the sake of your children
- Figuring out what is most important to you
- Not feeling stressed, overwhelmed, worrying about what could go wrong, loosing yourself
- Feeling awake, aware, notice what is working, practice self discovery
- Loving your children – no one will ever say you loved them too much
- Not overscheduling them – allowing them time to just play
- Spending as much time as possible outdoors
- Showing them how to be passionate by being passionate about something yourself
- Teaching them how to be nonjudgemental
- Finding a place of stillness – the quiet place out of which answers come
- Learning to appreciate every moment of parenthood, the good and the bad
What does zen parenting mean to you? Please let us know if you have something to add to this list.
