Parents: Be Kind to Yourselves

In a study of 333 mothers and fathers in Portugal, a team at the University of Coimbra analyzed the correlations between mindfulness, mindful parenting, parenting styles, and stress.

Some of the strongest correlations involve mindful self-compassion, which emphasizes self-kindness- rather than self-judgment- and a sense of common humanity, recognizing that we all experience failure and suffering. Parents with more self-compassion were more likely to practice mindful parenting, use an adaptive parenting style (blending authoritativeness with supportiveness), and feel less stressed about child-rearing.