Putting It All Together

Putting it all Together

When communicating with kids, keeping all three parenting process guidelines in mind creates an outline for how to be in a relationship, how to be with our children’s feelings, while still being ourselves.

Once again, here are The Parenting Process guidelines:


1. BONDING

: MAKE CONTACT. PROTECT THE BOND; DO NOT THREATEN EITHER EMOTIONAL ABANDONMENT OR INVASION.



2. MIRRORING: MIRROR AND REFLECT YOUR CHILD’S FEELINGS WITH EMPATHY.



3. DIFFERENTIATING
: REMEMBER YOUR CHILD IS DIFFERENT FROM YOU, WITH DIFFERENT THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.

Using these guidelines, parents will nourish children to recognize and express their own
feelings and have empathy for others. These children have a better chance to grow into adults who are not torn between their need for intimacy and their need for independence. These children will be better prepared to meet the emotional demands of the future and to nurture the life of our planet.

Now that I have introduced you to The Parenting Process and shared my philosophy. The next posts will be about how to put this all into practice. I welcome your comments and suggestions.