To a great extent, we bring these pressures upon ourselves through unconscious choices that we make, sacrificing the present moment with our children in pursuit of material or financial gain. Very often, as parents, we become so wrapped up in our daily routines, constantly riding the carousel of "things to do", that we unconsciously disconnect ourselves from our children and thereby, miss precious and priceless moments in their lives. Becoming conscious of this reality is in itself a step towards becoming that conscious parent.Slowing down and engaging in our children’s basic everyday activities, watching their favourite TV program with them, discussing a topic of interest on their car ride to school, eating ice cream together, brushing your teeth at the same sink, just chilling with a good book or simply listening to some favourite music with them, are all invaluable opportunities to connect with our children. As a daily practice in our home, my husband and I introduced our two children to a few comedies from our time, and, at the end of the day, regardless of how our day had unfolded, we made it a habit to sit down as a family and enjoy a good laugh before bedtime. Even last summer, during a long road trip, we took advantage of our time together, and introduced them to some musicians from the 80’s, and to our surprise, they thoroughly enjoyed the music. So much so that one of them chose to base their speech on one of the musicians whose music they have come to enjoy. What may appear to be a simple moment to us can actually become an impressionable experience in our children’s lives when they begin to build their memories of their childhood. As a busy parent, I am often amazed by the experiences my children recall. It is almost embarrassing when I have little or no recollection of these memories that they reminisce about, but it is assuring to know that it had a positive influence on them.Becoming conscious of our words, actions and how we respond to our children’s needs, their behaviours, and their constant yearning for knowledge and information is significant to the upbringing of a conscious and authentic child. Recently, during a very hurried visit to a store, my eight-year-old, upon observing the many sale signs with percentages on them, started to question me as to what the percent sign meant and how it affected the marked price of the item. Despite the rush, I chose to take a few minutes and help her to understand the concept and how to calculate it. A few seconds later, I was astonished to find her calculating all the sale items in her vicinity. The pride and sense of accomplishment that she felt within her was so visible as she bragged about her new knowledge and skills to her 11-year-old brother, who himself was quite impressed at his sister's enthusiasm. Watching her eagerly crunch those numbers with so much confidence made me realize how much that moment meant to her.As parents, it is natural to feel stressed, overwhelmed and fatigued by our daily activities. It is in these moments that we usually tend to pick up our smartphones or turn on the TV. Our constant desire to stay connected with social media may lead us to unconsciously tune out our much-needed attention to our children’s lives. The true wants of a child are actually priceless. All that they want is their parents’ undivided attention and not the latest gadget! Showering children with material items to compensate for a lack of parental presence is surely a desperate call for “conscious” parenting.The conscious parent is also one who does not live their dreams through the lives of their children. Instead, they accept their children for their authentic selves. They understand that identifying their child’s unique talents and the desires that drive them to thrive, and encouraging them to reach that potential, is more important than the number of A’s on a report card or compelling them to reach for the stars!Raising a conscious child in today’s society requires parents to wholeheartedly step down from their hierarchy pedestals and become fully present in their relationships with their children by simply tuning in to their children’s thoughts and desires. Commanding them to follow a set of rules which we were raised by may not always meet the needs and emotions of today’s child. The World has evolved so dramatically over the last two decades. Children are almost forced to grow up beyond their years to keep up with the demands of our present-day society. The rising number of incidents of children and youth struggling with various social and emotional issues should come as no surprise. The responsibility we have as parents to care for our children’s social and emotional well-being is obviously no easy task. We need to relinquish the need to constantly control a child’s every choice and action and allow them to take those risks, make those mistakes and grow from them. We must align ourselves with our children’s thoughts and give them constant feedback about their behaviours or their responses to situations. This approach will empower them to build their self-esteem and continue to develop their authenticity.Children mirror our behaviours. As conscious parents, it is important that we become deeply present and aware of our approach or our response in a situation. Empathizing with children’s feelings and encouraging them to be present in the moment and connect with their inner voices will teach them how to cope with emotional or social issues that are bound to arise in their lives. This form of awareness and practice may possibly give rise to a new generation of fully present and conscious, authentic beings. Becoming a conscious parent today is a commitment that we make to raise a conscious child who will be tomorrow’s conscious parent; their future is in our hands. Conscious children make for a conscious World tomorrow!This article was inspired by a revolutionary parenting book titled “Conscious Parenting” written by clinical psychologist, Dr. Shefali Tsabary.
