Monday, January 30, 2012

Goldie Hawn - Parenting and mindfulness

The film actress and ' Celeb'   Goldie Hawn has written a parenting book – 


 Most parenting books focus on parents' needs – how to get back control,   how to get your child to do what you want without you ever asking them , how to set limits and boundaries, 6 easy steps to deal with defiance etc.

Very few books help parents meet the developmental needs of kids – how to help them become more empathic , have more self control and be able to set their own limits and boundaries , regulate their emotions, articulate their concerns, take perspectives , be mindful of what you are doing and aware of others etc

Mindfulness helps kids reduce stress levels and  anxiety. They learn to calm themselves  down by connecting to their inner selves and can also  ' soothe ' themselves to sleep so that they get quality sleep. The traditional approach to kids with ADHD is to give them medication. The obvious question is – why not simply teach kids how to pay attention , focus and be aware. They then become more intrinsically motivated by being more focused on the present , on the process rather than just on the end product. They become more attentive to others, more empathic and compassionate.

Goldie Hawn also teaches kids to be aware how their brain works and be aware of their thinking – what part of the brain is driving the thinking – the prefrontal cortex or the amygdala.  

http://tiny.cc/ql7ev   -  Mindfulness for children 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWVkEVirYUg   - mindfulness for children you tube 


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