Connected Parents – Online

Who is this course for?

This course is for parents and carers – all those who care for children. No previous experience of mindfulness is required. This is an experiential course designed to give you practical tools for cultivating well-being and building healthy relationships. You will be invited to reflect on and share your experience, should you choose – these contributions enrich the course for everyone.

Our 9 week course explores how to

• reduce stress, anxiety, reactivity and self-criticism
• bring back joy – reconnect with our own good heart, and the heart of parenting
• share fun tools for well-being with our children

During each session we will practice mindfulness and emotional health exercises, share scientific research on well-being, and explore ways to bring more joy, laughter and love into our lives.

Follow-up emails will help you stay connected during the week, with session summaries, guided audio exercises, short videos, and links to helpful resources.

What topics will we cover?

• Investigating stress, well-being and their causes
• How to establish a regular Mindfulness practice, & an ‘on-the-spot’ practice
• Finding calm amidst the chaos
• Changing our relationship to challenging thoughts and emotions
• Cultivating self-care and emotional health
• Empathy, healthy relationships and communicating with emotional intelligence
• Sharing well-being tools with children
• Recent scientific research

Week by Week

WEEK 1: TAKING CARE OF MYSELF

Exploring wellbeing: what are the causes of stress and wellbeing?

Introducing mindfulness; analogies for the mind

Qualities of mind: Relaxation, Presence, Awareness, Kindness

WEEK 2: CONNECTING WITH MY BODY

Connecting with the body: deepening discovering of physical sensations

Mindful mandarin

Running on autopilot, distraction and unhappiness

WEEK 3: NOTICING REACTIONS

Connecting with feelings and impulses: can I experience challenging feelings and not react habitually?

The brain: three brains in one

The R-A-I-N practice

WEEK 4: THOUGHTS ARE JUST THOUGHTS

Identifying thoughts: who is the boss? me or my thoughts?

Mindfulness of sounds and thoughts

The negativity bias and Remembering Kindness

WEEK 5: STRENGTHENING EMOTIONAL HEALTH

How can being aware of emotions help me? my children?

Mind in the Jar

A challenge I face as a parent, mindful listening

WEEK 6: BEING A FRIEND TO MYSELF

Recognising the self-critic, and finding a more compassionate voice

Exploring nourishing and depleting activities

Gratitude practice, generating kind wishes for myself

WEEK 7: CONNECTING WITH MY FAMILY

Emotionally intelligent communication, deep listening

Compassion training

Guiding a mindfulness exercise for children

WEEK 8: WORKING WITH CHALLENGES

How to support myself when things fall apart, my on-the-spot practice

Communicating in tough situations

Seeing others as Just Like Me

WEEK 9: TAKING CARE OF ME AND MY FAMILY

Sharing well-being tools with children – fun ways to introduce mindfulness

Generating kind wishes for others

My plan for continuing

How to prepare for the online event

To prepare for the live streaming please see here.

We look forward to seeing you on-line!