High Five Discipline by Candice W. Jones

Author:Candice W. Jones
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: American Academy of Pediatrics
Published: 2022-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Time out!

Remember, as you discipline during trying times, you are the teacher and children are your students. They are learning and they are also a work in progress. So don’t take your frustrations out on them, even if they are partly the source. Give yourself and them a little grace.

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.

—THICH NHAT HANH

Mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness is a gift. It’s the gift of resilience or bouncing forward from adversity. It’s calming, it’s healing, and it strengthens your “selfie” skills, specifically self-awareness and self-control. It’s an important piece in positive parenting.

Mindfulness is a healing practice through which you focus your mind in the heat of the moment, to be fully aware of your feelings, senses, and thoughts without interpretation or judgment. Think of it as an out-of-body experience. It involves being an active observer of your own emotions at that moment or during that experience. Practicing mindfulness affords insight, self-control, and appropriate actions or self-discipline. It includes breathing, guided imagery, and relaxation techniques to help reduce stress.

As we get bogged down in the challenges of daily living and responsibilities, our minds sometimes get stuck and full of negative thoughts and experiences. Mindfulness can facilitate gratitude and help us appreciate the beauty and the good that are all around us. Research shows that mindfulness strategies, such as meditation, can be effective against anxiety, depression, pain, insomnia, and even high blood pressure. They can also help improve attention span in children and reduce stress of professional burnout in adults.

Here is an example of a mindfulness exercise I have done often at home during the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.

Example of a Mindfulness Exercise

As I step away from my family, I sit and just breathe—in slowly and out slowly.

I hear a garbage truck pull up outside. I think, “Good, someone’s working. Be safe.”

Breathe.

I hear the fire alarm beep. “Low battery,” it says. I need to remind my husband, Derrick, to change that.

Breathe.

I hear my daughter playing with her doll, talking to it so kindly, sweetly telling it what to do.

Breathe.

I hear my son and husband discussing my son’s schoolwork assignment. My son is frustrated and doesn’t understand something, but my husband patiently explains it again.

Breathe.

I’m so glad my husband is home this week, away from the hospital, safe, and here to help me with our children.

Breathe.

I hear the rustle of the palm leaves in the wind and a bird chirping. I feel the sun on my face, beaming through the window. I see a clear blue sky, clouds sailing by, and vivid pink flowers in bloom.

Breathe.

So thankful for my breath. My family. My home. My life. My stomach growls. Oh, it’s way past lunchtime. Duty calls …

Breathe.

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