Mindfulness for Parents: Becoming a parent is a profound and transformative experience that can bring immense joy and fulfillment. However, it also comes with its own set of unique challenges and emotional demands. For any parent, practicing mindfulness can be a valuable tool in navigating the joys and challenges with openness, resilience, and compassion.

Embracing Present-Moment Awareness: Mindfulness encourages parents to cultivate present-moment awareness, allowing them to fully experience and appreciate each moment with their new child. By being fully present, parents can savor the joy of bonding with their child, while also openly acknowledging and accepting any feelings of uncertainty or apprehension that may arise.

Nurturing Self-Compassion: The process of parenting can evoke a range of emotions, including excitement, anxiety, and self-doubt. Mindfulness teaches parents to approach themselves with kindness and self-compassion as they navigate these emotions. By acknowledging their own needs and limitations, parents can better care for themselves and, in turn, provide a strong source of support for their child.

Cultivating Resilience: Mindfulness empowers parents to develop resilience in the face of unexpected challenges that come with any parenting, and the unique challenges of parenting a child that has been adopted and/or parenting a child with additional needs. By fostering a non-judgmental attitude and embracing flexibility, parents can adapt more effectively to the evolving dynamics of their family, promoting a sense of stability and security for their child.

Strengthening Connection: Practicing mindfulness can enhance the emotional connection between parents and their child. By mindfully listening, observing, and responding to their child's needs, parents can create a nurturing and supportive environment that fosters trust and attachment.

Building a Supportive Community: Engaging in mindfulness practices alongside other adoptive parents or within a supportive community can provide a valuable source of encouragement, understanding, and shared experiences. This sense of connection can help parents navigate the unique complexities of adoption with greater resilience and insight.

Incorporating mindfulness into their daily lives can empower parents to embrace the journey of parenthood with a sense of calm, clarity, and compassion. By cultivating present-moment awareness, self-compassion, resilience, and emotional connection, adoptive parents can lay a strong foundation for nurturing the well-being and flourishing of their child while also attending to their own needs along the way.

Past Projects:

In 2016 we secured funding from the Oxford Mindfulness Centre to pilot our first 8-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Course, ‘Adopting Mindfulness’, https://www.oxfordmindfulness.org/about/charitable-activities/accessibility-fund-2016/mindful-parenting-project/

In 2020, amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we secured additional funding to offer Mindfulness Courses for Adopters through a meaningful partnership with 'Adoption First.' The support arrived at a crucial time, allowing us to extend our outreach and provide essential resources to individuals navigating the adoption process during these unprecedented times

2021: Teaching mindfulness to parents at Sure Start Centres in the South West with Action for Children, partly funded by the Oxford Mindfulness Centre.https://www.oxfordmindfulness.org/news/omc-funded-accessibility-projects-mindful-choice/

Mindfulness for Foster Carers: https://www.oxfordmindfulness.org/news/omc-funded-accessibility-projects-mindful-choice/

To discuss courses further please get in touch.