ExcerptGrowing Yourself as a ParentThe best parenting requires that we not only work to nurture and care for our children but that we nurture and care for ourselves. Parenting is one of the—if not the—most challenging jobs on the planet. There is the awesome responsibility of raising and guiding another human being, of course. But it’s the daily interactions between children and parents that can require almost super-human amounts of flexibility, patience and awareness. All the experts and all the books aren’t there when it’s your toddler who won’t nap, your child who stole a valued toy from his best friend, your depressed teen who is desperately searching for answers, your adult child who can’t hold down a job. Successful—even joyful—parenting is about listening to ourselves as well as listening to our children. It’s a hands-off approach that brings the focus back to what we are feeling and experiencing, so that we don’t unthinkingly rain anger and fear down upon our children. Being aware of ourselves helps us develop a strong "inner authority" or an intuitive sense of knowing what is best for us and our children in any moment. (And accepting that sometimes we really don’t know yet!)
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