Mindful parenting is never passé

For the last 10 years, USN parents have enjoyed our Mindful Parenting Series. Click here to register for the next six-week series beginning Monday, October 28. The cost is $90.
By Helen Tarleton, MS Counselor

Is mindful parenting passé?

We think not. While it is true that 10 years ago when we offered our first set of classes, we had to start with an explanation of the word “mindfulness.” We spent an entire session dispelling myths about it being a sneaky way to bring Eastern spiritual practices in the back door of the school. We were careful about not mixing the word with “meditation,” which was even more taboo. We had long conversations about setting the right tone to avoid alienating anyone.

These days, it’s easy to make assumptions of the opposite kind: stand in any grocery store line across the city and you will likely see mindfulness in the headlines of a few magazines. So, has mindfulness become out of date? That question is amusing when you stop to think about what being truly mindful is: bringing awareness to the present moment — not the past or the future.

We have found that making time to delve into what mindfulness means as a parent is a rich and rewarding experience. Parents who have participated in our classes most frequently note that the experience of being with other parents interested in bringing more mindful awareness into their family lives is unique: those who have previously taken other mindfulness-based classes have appreciated the focus on parenting. So much so that our ongoing weekly follow-up meeting for parents is a wonderful collection of participants from each of the ten years that we’ve held classes. All parents who participate in the six-week class are invited to join us at those weekly drop-in meetings when they can.

Please join us if you can: the class begins on Monday, October 28 from 8:15 to 9:45 a.m. and continues each Monday at the same time through December 2. The cost is $90, and registration is open here. We’ll offer the series again during the second half of the year. We hope to see you there. Grandparents are equally welcome.
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Nashville, TN 37212

Phone:  615-321-8000
Fax:       615-321-0889 
Email:    info@usn.org

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USN Mission: 
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.