"As spiritual sages and teachers have long attested, mindfulness practices increase self-knowledge, wisdom, compassion, and the capacity for living a more balanced life," writes Pilar M. Placone, a licensed clinician and researcher in the field of marriage and family therapy for over twenty years. In this handbook for parents, she has come up with a comprehensive resource including an interactive workbook. Thich Nhat Hanh, the Zen master of mindfulness, has endorsed the book along with a raft of other academics, spiritual writers, and family experts.
In the opening chapter Placone speaks to parents explaining to them the key aspects of mindfulness (self-awareness, self-observation, describing what is happening in the present moment, and handling reactivity and judgmental criticism of self and others). She then explains how this practice builds and enhances the parent-child connection. After looking at the three principles of parenting, Placone launches into an adventuresome section with materials on the Five Windows of Awarness (your senses, body, thinking, emotions, and interconnectedness) and the Five Mighty R's of maintaining contact (Rehearsal, Resilience, Reliability, Renewal, and Repair). As the author notes, "Mindful parenting is more than an intellectual position or set of beliefs. It represents a comprehensive way of living and approaching life."
