if you care about children, take really good care of mothers

[mindfulness4mothers]

Happy and Healthy Moms are Essential for Raising Happy Kids

“if you care about children, take really good care of mothers”
Rick Hanson PhD, neuropsychologist and New York Times bestselling author

Researchers have found that one of the top three predictors of a child’s happiness is the mother’s wellbeing. I’ve written about this before http://www.everyday-mindfulness.org/3-big-reasons-to-be-a-mindful-parent/and while none of this may be news to parents, practical and real support for moms has been hard to find.

My name is Kellie Edwards and with my business partner I have developed a new online wellbeing program called Mindfulness4Mothers http://mindfulness4mothers.com/m4m/to provide that support.

Mindfulness4Mothers is not another set of instructions on how to be the perfect mother. Far from it. This online well-being program is all about taking care of you. It gives you access to soothing wisdom from international experts, supportive mother-specific guidance to help you reduce stress and apply mindfulness in your daily life AND guided meditations that you can download for later use.

Mindfulness4Mothers aims to provide mothers with inspiration and soothing support that will make a lifelong difference. Mindfulness and self compassion can provide you with the inner resources to manage the demands of juggling parenting and daily life, and at the same time foster a closer connection with your children. Because this program is specifically tailored to mothers experience.

“Being a parent is so rewarding but it can also be incredibly draining with lack of sleep, conflict, worry and stress. And all too often, as women and mothers we are so focused on everyone and everything else that we tend forget about ourselves,”

The research gives you a mandate to invest in your own wellbeing for your sake and the sake of your children. We’re helping you to prioritise the most important person in your child’s life: to provide practices that recharge and look after your needs so that you can be in the best state of well-being as you can be. It helps develop calm, opens up more enjoyment of life and sets your children up to be happier too.

“Mindfulness has helped me so much in my own life as a mother, and I wanted to share it to allow other mothers to resource themselves for the marathon that motherhood is.”

Mindfulness4Mothers offers renowned international experts (who are mostly moms and dads themselves) in the fields of psychology, meditation and coaching, presented in a self-paced online wellbeing program. Tara Brach, Rick Hanson, Christine Carter and Sylvia Boostein are some of the international experts who provide practical advice on topics such as managing your own emotions, handling temper tantrums, reducing anxiety and balancing conflicting demands.

Mothers are already benefiting:

“inspiring and helpful”

“I LOVE the m4m program. It is so helpful. It is so accessible and effective and universal”.

“I love what you are doing”

“Thank you for everything you are doing to help bring mindfulness to mothers everywhere”

“So grateful for this program”

“I've been listening to the interviews and getting a lot out of them”

Mothers interested in raising their wellbeing can signup for the Mindfulness4Mothers online wellbeing program for US$59. The self-managed program includes expert suggestions as well as discussions with parenting practitioners, guided mindfulness exercises and a workbook.

With practical application, the learning outcomes from the Mindfulness4Mothers program include:
• An ability to stay balanced with greater flexibility in how you respond and how quickly you recover from the frustration and unpredictability of mothering.
• Less worry, and freedom from anxiety about imperfection.
• Inner strength and comfort in difficult times.
• Greater connection to your child and yourself in good times and bad.
• Greater fulfilment in mothering.
• Better sleep and lower stress.

To find out more how mindfulness can support you on your parenting journey, visit http://mindfulness4mothers.com/m4m/

[Gareth]

Great stuff Kellie.

I'll give the topic some links soon.

I wish you the best of luck with your project.

[mindfulness4mothers]

Thanks Gareth - should I post on the beginners page too - or anywhere else on the forum so mothers can see it more easily?

[scratchet]

Is your website open to dads too?

[mindfulness4mothers]

Of course! Please join us.

[scratchet]

so how are you supposed to find time to meditate when you've got baby in the house? I managed it quite well when I was on paternity leave, but now I'm back at work it is really difficult, and i figure that its more important to catch up on on some sleep rather than trying to get up before the baby.

[mindfulness4mothers]

Yes scratchet, sleep is very important. And it is hard to find time to meditate for the same period of time you have been used to. We asked many of the experts we interviewed exactly this question: what would you say to the parent who says I just haven't got time? They gave a whole range of answers, for instance:

Sylvia Boorstein - start with acknowledging that you are doing the best you can - we all are - and let yourself off the hook for not having the time right now. Tune in mindfully to what's going on inside and ask: what do I need right now - and if the answer is sleep - then that is being kind to yourself to meet that need. That makes it more possible for you to be present to meet your baby's needs and that is living mindfully.

Tara Brach - talks about what it was like when her son was tiny and the commitment she made was to meditate every day - even if it was for just one minute. She said "you put your tush on the cush and you take what you get". Sometimes she would get to the end of the day and realise she hadn't stopped and hadn't meditated and she would simply pause on the edge of the bed and just follow her breath for one minute. And she accepted that this was all she had time for. No guilt trip.

Rick Hanson was a bit more provocative and quoted Dipa Ma, a well regarded teacher and mother who would respond to this question by asking: do you walk from the bedroom to the kitchen? Then you can practice mindful walking. He also said that Mindfulness is be at home with yourself. Be home in yourself rather than lost in thought or feeling.

I would love you to join us so you could enjoy all the insight and wisdom these respected experts shared with us.....

in warmth and friendship, Kellie

[FeeHutch]

I think I might make 'put your tush on the cush and you take what you get' my new mantra