Practice Makes Perfect

Many parents already intuitively practice elements of reflective parenting. What most parents aren’t accustomed to is maintaining this empathy and patience when stressed, tired, worried, or feeling depleted.  But sometimes there are relational mis-attunements, when a parent’s understanding of her child lags behind the child’s development.  Parents are always playing “catch-up,” trying to adapt and respond children’s (seemingly overnight) growth and maturity. When development catches you by surprise, reflection is essential.

In these moments, it’s hard to think about what is going on in your child’s mind, respond to the intention and not the behavior, reflect about what is happening in your mind, and check your first reaction, all in the space of twenty emotionally charged seconds.

Like all things, reflective parenting takes practice; it’s a life-long approach to parenting that is constantly evolving and never complete. That’s where Mind to Mind Parenting comes in. We help you develop your capacity to think reflectively about your child’s mind, your own mind, and your relationship. In this respect, we differ from most other parenting programs. While we do offer developmental guidance about specific parenting issues, our primary mission is to help you understand yourself and your relationship with your child. When you can reflect about both yourself and your own reactions and your child and his reactions, you can empathize with his experience and respond in ways that will deepen your connection.

At Mind to Mind our mission is to teach you how to focus on your relationship with your child.  We believe that no matter what the age, stage, or issue, your relationship with your child is what really matters. Without one, almost anything you do will be ineffective. With one, almost everything is possible.