10 Affirmations for Mindful Parenting

“Egg whites only!” demanded my daughter. “On a fresh plate! This one had oranges on it and the juice will make it taste yucky.” So I lovingly scrambled those egg whites, only to have her reject them immediately because she was “full”—which translates to “I want to go play handball now.”

Parenting is filled with these moments. You offer up the best you can give, sometimes begrudgingly, usually in a half stupor, turning yourself inside out with effort and overwhelming love. As mindfulness teacher and social worker Lisa Kring so eloquently wrote in “The 5 Main Tenets of Mindful Parenting” for her blog on The Huffington Post, “Nothing is more humbling, more challenging and more heartbreaking than parenting. There is no quitting and no hiding and no ‘finish line.’”

Due to this stress, and that of our daily lives, we are often with our children, without really being with our children. We are in the same room, the same car, but our minds are racing ahead to the office, or distracted by what’s on the TV, or wishing we were on some tropical island sipping a daiquiri. Yet when we fully connect with our children, it’s far easier to find joy and peace. Things become a little less harried, a little less about the darn egg whites that she didn’t eat. Here are 10 affirmations to help us be in the present moment when we are parenting.

1. The gift I’m giving them is my full attention.
2. My children are not me; they are their own separate and beautiful beings.
3. I am here in the present moment, with kindness and curiosity.
4. Rather than simply reacting, I will choose my next behavior.
5. This moment will not last forever.
6. As everything swirls by me, I tune in and listen to my breath.
7. My child is the perfect teacher for me, and I’m learning so much.
8. My children are strong, safe and supported.
9. I let my children learn and grow in their own way.
10. I am tranquil; nothing can disturb my peace of mind.