Parenting with Presence

there’s a difference between accepting the idea of something and embracing the reality of it.

Become conscious of what you would like your ideal parenting life to look like, picturing a more loving, healthy relationship with your child, as well as with yourself.

When our relationship with our children is permeated with our whole-hearted engagement and presence, they are more inclined to turn to us, rather than to their friends, for guidance and support.

felt intoxicated with gratitude, realizing that what I was feeling did not have to be an isolated experience; I could live more intimately with this kind of openheartedness as I went about the ordinary activities of my day, if I so chose.

There, across the room, was a miracle in the form of someone I loved more than the beating of my heart, and I was getting the chance to express my love in the form of a sandwich.

Without presence, you are only able to connect with the child through the thinking mind and emotions, rather than on the deeper level of Being.

Ultimately, though, the deeper cause of family dysfunction is not the parents’ lack of knowledge or education but their lack of awareness.