Why I Decided To Become An Aware Parenting Instructo
It’s official: As of last week, I became a certified Aware Parenting instructor!
I had my interview with Aletha Solter, Ph. D. the founder of this child rearing philosophy, which is based upon three main aspects: Fostering secure attachment, non-punitive discipline; and healing and prevention from stress and trauma.
It was so wonderful to meet Dr. Solter albeit via Zoom. I am so grateful for her work, which has impacted my life so profoundly. I cannot say that I wasn’t extremely nervous at the interview, especially in the beginning, but it felt like a momentous occasion for me as so much of my life—my paradigm—has shifted since becoming a parent and whilst practicing this philosophy.
The shifts include seeing parenting as activism, a passion for the importance of trauma-informed care, and a commitment to ending all oppression in children.
As part of my application, I was asked to explain why I am inspired by Aware Parenting. To celebrate my certification, I’m sharing what I wrote:
To put it simply, our world is in a pickle.
We are in need of generations who are capable of thinking creatively, who are connected to themselves, and who are compassionate, kind and resilient.
I believe that the philosophy of Aware Parenting contributes to raising children who are first and foremost cooperative and connected, as well as encouraged and supported to think out of the box by supporting our innate ability to release stress and tension to find balance again, while also fostering secure attachment and a respectful relationship between parent and child, without the use of punishments and rewards.
I truly believe that Aware Parenting has the capacity to make the world a better place—this is what inspires me the most! The philosophy gives us a guide to meet our needs as parents, and also meet the needs of our children.
Aware Parenting is empowering for parents as we are now given a guide to not only raise children in a way that supports their bodies’ innate ability to release stress and heal, but I found that I’ve been given the opportunity to connect with stress and tension that I need to release to support my own healing, too.
Practicing Aware Parenting has not only given me better sleep, but I believe it’s also resulted in a more peaceful, aware and alert child.
Aware Parenting has encouraged me to examine my relationship with my feelings and be able to listen empathically to the feelings of my son and my partner, and thereby strengthened our relationship to each other as family.
In my kinesiology practice, clients can often have a release or cry during their session (I have cried during many of my own therapy or healing sessions), and this results in feeling lighter and more relaxed after. Babies and children are born knowing how to do this, and instead of distracting or pacifying them in some way, I find that this approach intuitively makes a lot of sense to me—that we can support them in expressing and releasing what they need to express and release, giving them a better chance for a healthy, creative and balanced life.
As humans we are born equipped with the tools to move through stresses and trauma, but sometimes that isn't supported and we learn stress coping mechanisms (control patterns) that affect us negatively later on in life. Imagine what a world would like where this innate ability to heal is supported so that babies grow into children who trust themselves, who then mature into adults who trust themselves, and are able to welcome those emotions and move through them, release the tension and the hurts—and are also able to be present and compassionate to themselves and others.
If this resonates with you and you’d like to learn more, I’m offering 1:1 parenting consultations, as well as workshops for groups, business and organisations.
Thanks for being here.
Much love,
Lia