Acceptance and commitment therapy for peaceful parenting
Do you want to be in control of everything as a parent, but find this only leads to more disappointment when you can’t keep up? Do you find yourself getting swept up in reactivity when your child does something wrong? Do you feel flawed when things don’t go the way you thought they would? Do you often self-criticise or tell yourself you shouldn’t feel this way because parenting should be joyful?
It’s not uncommon to have these internal experiences. Whether it’s coping with your child’s behaviour, dealing with your own feelings of inadequacy or burdening yourself with guilt, parenting can bring up a lot of difficult thoughts and emotions. But it’s the way you respond to these difficult thoughts and feelings that is the key to improving your wellbeing and enjoyment of parenthood.
The struggle switch
In his book , Russ Harris coins the term “struggle switch”. He says that as soon as an uncomfortable emotion or feeling shows up, people tend to struggle with it. Think of a time you have felt a wave of stress or anxiety as a parent: did you allow yourself to experience the anxiety mindfully or did you struggle with it and
