This weeks blog post is written by Sandra Couts.  I have the pleasure of working with Sandra and when I read her most recent article on parenting I thought it was something that other health savvy moms would appreciate.  Sandra is a intuitive counselor and registered nurse, if you would like to learn more about her services I have included her bio and website at the end of the article.  I hope you are enjoying the summertime heat and I hope you have a fabulous weekend with your families. Enjoy! 🙂

 

Have you ever wondered what your life like would be had your parents interacted with you in a different way? Have you ever thought that some of your problems are directly connected to how you were raised as a child? Most people have asked themselves these questions. Without a doubt, how we are or were parented plays a significant and valuable role in our lives. Realizing the impact parenting has on each of us, gives us an opportunity to better understand ourselves. From this understanding, we can choose for ourselves how we want to interact or parent  the children and teenagers in our lives.

The fact that we have all been parented by someone establishes a commonality between us. This someone could be an adoptive parent, a grandparent, a relative, a neighbor, a step parent, staff at an orphanage, our biological parents, or a friend of the family. Parents pass on their various beliefs and perspectives, influencing who we become and what we do with our lives. An important turning point for some people is the realization that how we relate to children does not have to be determined by how we were parented. Parenting is a learned skill. The goal is to have healthy, loving, fun relationships with children and teenagers. Developing healthy interactions can start with being open to different perspectives and new ideas for learning how to interact with children and teenagers in positive and effective ways.

The following information provides different perspectives of what it means to parent. The answers to the questions come from a handful of people, some who have children and some who do not.

The first question is: What does it mean to parent?

• To parent is to love and understand children. Many people equate parenting to being an authority figure, someone who knows what is best for their children no matter what. Children get lost in the equation, treated as if others always know what is best for them.
• To parent is to give children nurturing support and unconditional love.
• A parent is someone who expresses his or her love for children through physical affection and verbal acknowledgment.
• With kindness and compassion, a parent supports you in being who you are.
• A parent teaches you how to express your feelings in a healthy way through modeling the expression of his or her feelings.
• To parent is to provide a safe and loving environment where another human being can learn how to live effectively.
• To parent is to take the time and energy to be fully present with children and teenagers,  giving them direction, guidance and support according to their potential, their individual challenges and their physical, emotional and spiritual needs and desires.

The second question is: What are two significant qualities that contribute to being a loving parent?

• Patience and understanding
• Acceptance and allowing a child to be fully who she or he is
• Nurturing and support
• Unconditional love and true acceptance of children and teenagers strengths as well as their challenges
• Respect and kindness
• Compassion and honesty
• Letting go and having fun
• Love and healthy boundaries

If you would like other perspectives on parenting, please read any or all of the following books. Learning how to interact with children and teenagers in healthy ways and to parent from new perspectives can only bring positive results, for you and for our precious children and teenagers.

Nurture Your Child’s Gift: Inspired Parenting by Dr. Caron Goode

 

Parenting Through Connection Instead of Coercion, Through Love Instead of Fear by Pam Leo

 

Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason by Alfie Kohn

 

By Sandra Couts MSN, RN, CHTP

Sandra Couts is an Intuitive Counsellor, Healing Touch Practitioner, author and workshop facilitator. She has authored articles on health and wellness and recently published her e-book Intuitive Connections-A Five Step Plan to Embrace Your Intuition. Sandra brings an enthusiasm for living life fully and a deep appreciation for what it takes to make positive changes in your life to everything she does. She deeply values the importance of teaching others to use both their inner and outer resources in developing coping skills in effective and fun ways. Learning to deal with every day stressors as well as making decisions that support your personal, professional and spiritual growth are key to living an abundant, healthy life.

Sandra’s background and experience in psychiatric nursing and mind-body studies provides a unique richness to her sessions and workshops. She values free-thinking, creativity, intuitive insights and personal growth.

To learn more check her out at www.omwc.ca

In great health & happiness,

Dr. Michelle

Dr. Michelle Peris is a Naturopathic Doctor whose goal is to inspire health through educating, motivating and empowering people.  She has a family based practice out of a clinic in Oakville, Ontario.

Contact Dr. Michelle today to book your 15 minute complimentary consult.