Spiritual Parenting

Parenting

Parent send off

Ben C’80 and Susan Jackson welcomed Birmingham area incoming freshmen and
their parents to a "Send-Off" reception at their home on Thursday evening,
August 13. Over 30 new and current students and parents attended the event,
including current Parents’ Council members, Pam and Ed Varner and Linda and
Bill Holman. In Atlanta, Richard and Claudia de Mayo, also members of the
Sewanee Parents’ Council, hosted a gathering of area new students and
parents in their home on August 14. Other similar events were held in
Dallas, Nashville and Houston.

Spiritual Parenting

Spirituality is often an area that is overlooked when we think of children and their upbringing. Yet it holds great importance when we look at the meaning of all our lives.  Spirituality has little to do with religion; religion in my view is simply a means a person chooses to explore their spirituality. Spirituality, I feel, is the essence of who we are; our divinity; our oneness, that which connects us to everyone around us, the world in which we live and our higher selves, or if you like God. We are more than just the physical being we see when we look in the mirror, much more. In fact that physical body is a tiny part of the presence that lies within all of us.  

When we have a child we are safeguarded with a spirit that has chosen us to introduce them to their new world. This spirit is older and wiser than would first appear and they have as much to teach us, as we do them.

Children show us daily how to embrace life, to live in the now. They show us the magic and wonder that surrounds us and which we, through many years of conditioning, have grown to deny. They hold none of the judgments and cynicism that we have grown so accustomed to. Their minds and hearts are open; they are guided by their intuition and are so in tune with their inner experiences.  This special connection, as I see it, needs to be nurtured so that as they grow they remain in tune with who they are and continue to see and experience the goodness and joy the world has to offer them.  By helping our children to maintain a connection with their higher-selves, we are giving them the means to overcome fears and feelings of isolation.  We are teaching them to discover, accept, trust and love themselves and the world that surrounds them; enabling them to find their unique and special purpose, their contribution to the world.  

There are many ways in which we can help our children hold on to their spiritual affinity and in turn help ourselves too.  In my view there is no hard and fast rule to parenting, or spiritual parenting for that matter. It is about finding what works for your family.  Each child is unique and by being aware, incorporating and embracing our child’s inner experiences in our parenting approach we can connect better with our child.  This is at times a challenging task as it means that we to have to work on our own reactions and belief systems.  However, by bringing awareness to the needs and behavior of all those involved and by quieting our minds long enough to hear our own higher-selves we can find the solutions that will fit us and our children best. By being open to learning how to work with our children we can find a way forward. Active listening is a great tool in gaining insight and knowledge in helping us to teach and guide them through their lives. By finding some time to really listen and focus on our children we are invited to join their world and their experiences.  By aiming to be as open, relaxed and non-judgmental as possible, we allow our children to express themselves fully.

Some of the specific areas you might want to focus on as a spiritual parent include:

Teaching Trust
By always being there for our children we show them that they are taken care of, we give them a sense of faith in us initially and then this can become the foundation to them having faith in others, themselves, and their divinity, whatever their belief system.  This trust allows our children to fully explore and experience their life and all that surrounds them, both physically and spiritually.  

Oneness
Through teaching our children that we are part of everything that surrounds us we show our divinity, and we encourage them to see the meaning and importance in their lives.  Oneness can also help children to empathize with others and have compassion.  Through oneness Children can also feel love for themselves, those around them and the world in which they live.

Virtues
By helping our children understand basic virtues we encourage them to find ways of living happily alongside others.  We are giving them the means to understand the world in which they live, and how to find peace and happiness.  They begin to appreciate that we are all equally important no matter what our differences or our beliefs.  Our children can learn how to make informed choices, by allowing them to consider the consequences of their actions, their needs and the feelings of others.

Intuition
Through helping our children to stay connected to their inner guide, their intuition, is extremely important as it helps them to better understand themselves and their feelings.  This enables them to trust themselves and make decisions that they feel good about.  They can choose that which benefits and supports their highest good, a wonderful ability to have as they go through their lives.

Gratitude
Through gratitude and prayer children become aware of all that they have been blessed with in their lives.  This gives them a positive focus rather than one that comes from negativity and lack.  This positive focus is important for their very well being and it also directly relates to what they are able to create and manifest in their lives. Much has been spoken of the connection between gratitude and the law of attraction in Quantum physics.  Gratitude and prayer also help children to see how they are taken care of, and this giving thanks reinforces their faith and trust in the divine, the higher source, or if you like ‘God’.

Punk-Rock Parenting
Parenting
But Dragonslayer director Tristan Patterson focuses his lens on one of the characters behind the stunts: Josh "Skreech" Sandoval, a 23-year-old whose life boils down to skating and getting fucked up—oh, and parenting his baby. …

Parenting question by Karen: What is a great webiste to take a parenting class online?
I am currently going through a divorce. I have tried and tried to register for a parenting class but I have no luck! Is there a good trustworthy website I could go to, to take a parenting class? One that is court approved for Tennessee.

Parenting best answer:

Answer by Patricia
You should contact the court for a list of approved online courses. It is possible that they do not accept any online courses. There are considerable advantages to taking this course in a classroom because of the interaction with the instructor and other students. I have heard about the difficulty in finding openings in these classes in TN. Check in nearby counties too.