Parenting with the Mind in Mind

By Kelly Wright, MD, FAAP

This presentation offers a perspective on parenting with empathy for ourselves and our kids, or in other words, being mindful of our internal state and our children’s internal state. This presentation covers some of the things might affect how our brains work and a few things we can do to try and regulate in the moment.

Trauma Training Takeaways: Parenting is a place where our own childhood trauma often resurfaces. We are forced to face how we were raised and make active choices on how we will raise our own children, whether or not we have positive examples around us. Becoming dysregulated as a parent is incredibly common, due to the constant interaction, being overtired, or our own stress and triggers. Being a trauma-informed parent means that we are constantly working on our own healing and regulation, and that we practice the art of apologies and repairs when we find ourselves reactive.