Mindful Parenting and Dukkha

During this talk, Lili, the mother of two young boys, reviews her Buddhist studies and practices for addressing the dukkha–distress and confusion–that occurs while parenting, along with effective ways of cultivating mindfulness, kindness, compassion, and patience during daily interactions with her boys.  She describes the three different types of dukkha and the importance of compassionate self-care as the basis for effective interpersonal exchanges with the boys.  She also explains mentalizing, which is the ability to infer a child’s emotional experience and then use informative words skillfully to help him or her understand their subjective experience and develop more ability to manage emotional and behavioral challenges.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  2024 – 01 – 31 – MINDFUL PARENTING – Talk 01 (002)

Next week’s talk will be the first of two meetings reviewing the Second Noble Truth, the cause of dukkha.  The first meeting will provide insights regarding the neurological and psychological components of craving and clinging, along with how mindfulness meditation practice creates a more integrated and wholesome personality structure.  The second meeting will discuss how a wholesome personality structure supports the process of Awakening, leading to the realizations of the Third Noble Truth.

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