How Being A Parent Teaches Us To Be Mindful

One Sunday evening my kid got pushed while playing on the play structure. He comes with his bruised elbow to the bench where I was sitting with a few sobs.

Seeing that bruise, made my heart skip a beat, and I blow the mud off his bruise while keeping a sharp ear towards his details.

In the end, I hug and console him, “You are a good boy” to which he was quick to add, while pointing in that direction “And he is a bad boy!” he said while twisting his mouth, weeping and making sad sounds.

Err! Who am I to address someone bad? That boy could have been in a rush to play so he might have pushed him in an abrupt way. With no proof, I can’t label anyone bad. Are there any rules for defining someone good or bad?

Rules, Methods, Guidelines!

We all are enveloped around these principles of behavior. Infact, even a gadget comes with a set of standards to operate, and man is supposed to follow them otherwise the machine will break down.

But, how do I make my kid explain who is totally against him at this moment of time?

Even man has written a set of rules for himself and his brethren to behave in public. It is confusing since on one hand, we talk about living in a democratic land, but we still ought to abide by some rules?

Man is a social animal, and he ought to clutch upon some criterias as he trots along the path while communicating with another individual. Otherwise, there would be chaos and lawlessness!

But, then proof is also an important element since circumstances could play an important factor. Thus, without reasoning with the other boy, I could not label him good or bad.

Thus next time when someone tags a boy bad, look around him and count the number of eyebrows he has raised or helped stretch those muscles around the mouth wide with a gentle expression, and then make a decision loud and clear!

Sometimes life is such a humdrum that we, as adults get carried away by our monotonous life that comprises of a dreary routine by taking those above guidelines for granted. Little do we realize what we think, and at what we sneer our noses.

Parenthood helps us pause and analyze the situation that is thrown at us by innocent questioning as it teaches us to go along this course.

Parenting teaches us to be mindful, which is not philosophy but a practice by simply reclaiming the moments by being in the present. It is a path, which leads us to being conscious and aware of our thoughts as we pass the baton of knowledge, and insight to our coming generation by taking a few moments off our daily routine and having a quiet moment within to contemplate and give a sound response to our children. It has the potential to allow us to see the children with chastity and blamelessness, ability, which is actually hard to see on a daily basis.

Ruchira Khanna is the author of Choices published on Amazon. She blogs at http://abracabadra.blogspot.com/