Conscious Parenting: Healing the Future
Parenting is one of the most challenging and inspiring jobs on the planet. Raising conscious children today is of great importance, as the children of today are the change-makers of the future.
They carry the seeds of hope to grow up and be the creators of the healing solutions and transformation that is needed to bring peace forth in the world.
Yet modern parents know we face more obstacles, choices, and pressure than ever before, and without the level of social support that we truly need.
As a mother of 3 children, from adult to toddler, I have been navigating the realms of parenting now for over 19 years, and have kids in 3 very different stages of life.
It's been a passion of mine to study and learn about conscious birthing and parenting, and have experienced the joys and challenges of trying to implement these practices while raising kids in a culture that makes this very difficult.
Through my work as a birth and postpartum doula for over a decade, and a childbirth educator for nearly two decades, I've immersed myself in being an advocate for maternal, infant and family health and wellbeing.
There is abundant research today from the fields of epigenetics, pre- and perinatal psychology, attachment parenting, quantum physics, heart intelligence, and neuroscience showing how the way we birth and raise our children directly impacts their longterm health, emotional resiliency, psychological foundation, and our overall level of cultural violence and addiction as a result.
The most vulnerable people today are the babies and children, the ones who are too young and small to speak up for themselves, to articulate how the way they are being treated is not okay, and who lack any options to get themselves in better situations.
The babies and children of today need love, protection, and respect.
Human infants are also the most helpless of all babies born to mammals, and for the longest amount of time.
The advanced consciousness of human beings, and the large nature of our brains, actually puts us in the position of being born while still in an extremely defenseless state, which means that our potential consciousness is at risk of being oppressed and manipulated while still in our helpless infancy and extended childhood.
Thus it is up to conscious parents and adults today to speak up for those who cannot speak. We need to advocate for the babies, the children, and to see why many adults today are hurting and suffering because of the lack of love, support, and protection they did not receive as youth.
It's time to create changes in our culture that begin with shining light on how violence begins in pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and the early years, when babies are subject to invasive and abusive procedures in the womb and immediately upon being born, and how women are abused in childbirth by the dominant culture model that says the doctor knows best and performs procedures against a mother's will or without consent. This sets us up for a lifetime of being traumatized from hierarchical powers.
Conscious parenting is a way to change the tides of violence and start respecting children, including babies, as being fully conscious intelligent people.
It's realizing that how we treat and care for children creates changes in their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual expression of self.
The study of epigenetics now demonstrates how the environmental impacts upon a being bring forth changes in the gene expression more than the genetic code itself.
This now verifies that gentle parenting supports our children to feel more love, empathy, compassion, understanding, and calm, because a positive environment creates biological and chemical changes in the brain that support health and wellbeing.
Bonding with our children is an essential role as the primary caregiver and parent, to create a strong life-long relationship of trust and love.
Listening to our children, at every age from infant to teenager, is vital to help them feel heard, attended to, recognized and cared for.
Calming ourselves is necessary, as parents we are our children's models, and our emotions are like a tuning fork, vibrating and resonating with our children.
It's of the utmost importance that we learn skills to diffuse distress, anxiety, fear, tension, trauma, and anger, and model ways of transforming our challenging emotions and coping with the stresses of life in resilient ways.
I can tell you that parenting is hard work. It's the most challenging thing I've ever done, and I am not calm and cool all the time.
I cannot believe the challenges that parents have to face today, and the increasing threats and challenges that are newly occurring for today's infants, toddlers, children, youth, and teens.
This is why I believe learning conscious parenting skills is so essential and so lacking in today's world.
We are learning as we go. We are needing to do the best we can, and then support each other to do even better. It's the most important work ever to be done.
It's time to let go of what society expects and tells us we need to do as parents, and start paying attention to our children and what THEY need.
Love. Hugs. Laughter. Listening. Play. Rest. Nature. Creativity. Encouragement.
It's time to refocus on what childhood is supposed to be about.
Conscious parenting is not about thousand-dollar environmentally-friendly strollers, organic onesies, and ergonomic baby-carriers - it's about being present with our children, bonding with them with loving care, protecting them from trauma, raising them with empathy, and holding them when they are crying or scared.
It's about bucking the system, and listening to our intuition to recognize what is right for them and us.
It's about re-envisioning health care, parenting plans, educational expectations, and advocating for a healthy environment and communities.
Mostly it's about tuning into our children, whatever their age, and recognizing them as conscious individuals that we are in a family partnership relationship with and listening to them, and to our guiding inner spirit, as to what this unique being really needs for them to thrive, love and live up to their best potential.
It's time to really see the world from a new perspective - the way a child sees the world, and then use our advantage as adults to advocate for the children and care for them with peace and compassion.
The babies of today are the world-changers of tomorrow. Let's help them get the best start possible by listening to them and supporting them now.
Many blessings,
Kara
A Few of My Favorite Books on Conscious Parenting:
Note: This post contains affiliate links. I only recommend products that I have personally enjoyed and found beneficial. If you purchase through my affiliate links I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which goes to help support this website and blog. Thanks so much!