Conscious Parenting

Parenting itself seems like a herculean task, what to talk about conscious parenting! So, what is parenting? Seems like a simple question, but honestly are you not finding it difficult to answer?

Okay, now let’s explore some other aspects of parenting? When did you first think of becoming a parent? Or did it just happen, as is the case with many of us :-)

Alright, even if you thought of it, what planning did you do? If this question itself is sounding odd, let me explain. We plan a vacation, we plan our career, we plan for every small thing in our life, why not for parenting?

Okay, let’s get to the next question - how did you know you are eligible to be a parent? How did you qualify? What education or training did you go through? Hmmm…..point to ponder, right?

Finally, those of you who are parents, how do you rate yourself as a parent? No, I am not asking how well you are trying to do your job right, I am asking how is it going? Confusing? Have you maintained a journal about your parenting related learning? Have you taken feedback, ideally 360% feedback? Do you know your user expectation? Have you done a gap analysis? Have you used design thinking or the 5 Whys Method in your parenting process? When does the parenting process begin? What is your job description? Where does your responsibility begin and where and when does it end? Can you retire from the parenting role? If so, when? 

What is the objective of parenting? How do you define it? What is your strategy? Who all are in your team? Are you all aligned? What are the milestones? Are the milestones set by you or your user/child? By the way, you don’t have to be paid to plan your job well and execute it efficiently, right? 

All of you who are in the corporate world or have been there, understand all the jargon I have used up there :-) For those who have not been exposed to that world, may be wondering if truly parenting is as complex as it sounds. Let me answer that for all of you, yes, it is one of the most complex roles you can even have and is also the most impactful. Impact of a parent is not just on their child but the entire society. 

Parents are the customers for the entire education system. Educational Institutions are providing what their customers are asking. Society is a reflection of the education system. So, if society seems like chaos, ask yourself, who is responsible? Most importantly, whether you realize it or not, as a parent you are the most powerful pillar of the society. If you wish to see change, the key lies with you. 

We all know and agree that we are all unique. So, parenting every child entails a very unique method. The method that worked for you, may not work with your child. What worked for your first child, may not work with the second one. Because each one of us is unique and has unique needs. Then again, we all are continuously changing and growing. We are not the same. So, we may need different methods to be engaged for tackling the same individual. That is what makes this role extremely complex. 

Unfortunately, in life, in today’s times, we do not go through any form of formal or informal education to deal with the most important aspects of our life. For example, we learn so much about things around us, but not about “What is LIFE? We have so much knowledge about so many subjects and external objects, but find it hard to answer, “WHO AM I?” We have goals, strategy and plan for scoring in our studies, finances, career, etc. but don’t have much clarity about our unique purpose, for which we are all uniquely gifted. Nor do we know about the real EDUCATION REQUIRED FOR US TO MAKE OUR BEST AND UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD, MARRIAGE, PARENTING, DEATH, etc. We are totally unprepared to understand and face these challenges in life. We get into it accidentally or by force, manage with trial and error and somehow scrape through it all. 

I am sure none of us want it to stay this way. There is some hope. We can make an effort to start with the process of living consciously NOW. We can learn not just about parenting but how we can be conscious parents and live our lives consciously. Connect with me for a complimentary 45-minute session here: Individuals – Conscious Living Center.