5: Mindful Parenting

Question 1

What are some mindfulness-based interventions (MBI)? And who designed them?

Answer 1

• Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) by Jon Kabat-Zinn (first ever protocol)
• Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) by Segal, Williams and Teasdale (for depression)

Question 2

Are MBI effective?

Answer 2

Different for different disorders, but in general it’s promising but needs large scale RCTs to know for sure.
Is effective for depression.

Question 3

Why can being a parent be (extra) stressful? (7)

Answer 3

• Kids or parents have disorders
• Kids have learning problems
• Sibling rivalry or fights
• Marital disagreements or divorce
• Transformation from being a person to being a parent
• Insecurity about future
• Evolution: overestimating danger & takes a long time to raise a kid

Question 4

Why important to parent mindfully?

Answer 4

• When we get stressed, we get tunnelvision, which causes the brain to make shortpath decisions which aren’t thought through > overreactive parenting
• Overreactive parenting is angry and aggressive and is harmful for kids.
• To become aware of parental biases

Question 5

What is mindful parenting?

Answer 5

Mindful parenting is the ongoing process of intentionally bringing moment-to-moment, non-judgemental awareness as best one can to the unfolding of one’s own lived experience, inclduing parening. It starts with self-awareness.

Question 6

What are the (10) chapters in mindful parenting?

Answer 6

1. Attentive parenting
2. Being your own parent
3. Parental stress
4. Parental expectations
5. Rupture and repair
6. Parenting together
7. Limit setting
8. Guilt and shame
9. Love makes blind
10. Schemes and patterns

Question 7

What was the result in the article where only parents of diagnosed kids got MBI?

Answer 7

• Children show less symptoms, medium to large effect size

- Also the parents show less symptoms.

Question 8

What mediates the improvement in parent and child psychopathology?

Answer 8

• Increased general mindfulness mediated decreased parental psychopathology.
• Increased mindful parenting mediated decreased child psychopathology (general mindfulness did not)

Question 9

What can you say about clinical vs non clinical settings?

Answer 9

Both benefitted from mindful parenting

- Show less parental stress and overreactivity.

Question 10

What are the 8 sessions of MBCT? (for depression)

Answer 10

1. Automatic pilot
2. Dealing with barriers
3. Mindfulness of the breath
4. Staying present
5. Allowing/letting be
6. Thoughts are not facts
7. How can I best take care of myself
8. Using what has been learned to deal with future moods.