Parenting Manifesto
Parenting ON PURPOSE, from your heart…
Your prayer, your wish, your soul’s message to your children…
I was watching Oprah Life Class recently, and Brene Brown was talking about her parenting manifesto. I was so inspired, and so deeply touched that I decided to create my own. Boy was it a liberating, freeing, healing experience!!!
Here’s a few tips on where to start and how to create your own:
- Write a list of all the attributes and values you would like to instil in your children (mine were things like courage, vulnerability, faith, belief, compassion, adaptability, authenticity, resilience)
- Make a few notes on what kind of examples you would need to set, so that your children could experience these attributes through YOU first (mine were: putting myself first to show self-love, embracing my own imperfections, being transparent and vulnerable – letting them see me when I’m down, or when I’m not so perfect, not judging anyone)
- Think of anything you wish you were taught or told when you were a child. Include those!
To put it all together in a letter style, sit down with a pen, paper, and most importantly, an OPEN HEART and let your hand do the writing… just let it flow… tears and all… wow, it will heal you and inspire you at the same time!
Once you have created your manifesto, you will have clear intentions as to the kind of parent you want to be. This then brings about a new level of consciousness as you go about your day, and acts as a ‘reference point’ that helps you notice when you are getting off track and focusing on things that aren’t really important to you… getting caught up in “autopilot” and off track with being “on purpose”.
Once you are clear on your manifesto, you will find it easier to not sweat the small stuff… and you’ll realise it is ALL small stuff. The only things that matter are those found here, in your parenting manifesto. The rest, you can just let go of… or at least relax on! What you speak about in your manifesto becomes your “rocks”, everything else becomes your “sand”. We all know it is important to put the rocks in first, and so you’ll find it easier to give yourself permission to not worry about the “sand”, so long as you covered your “rocks” each day.
May your heart be filled with the same peace and contentment I experienced after writing mine.
And please, if you are open to it, please come across to my facebook group and share your parenting manifesto with others… whether it be via video, or written… there are many people experiencing similar feelings, and hearing YOUR manifesto might just set someone else FREE because they realise after all, they are not alone. Please, help to make a difference…
