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Parenting by Zen Ideals

EVERYDAY BLESSINGS: THE INNER WORK OF MINDFUL PARENTING, by Myla Kabat-Zinn and Jon Kabat-Zinn, begins with this quote: "Parenting is one of the most challenging, demanding and stressful jobs on the planet. It is also one of the most important."

First published in 1997 by Hyperion, this is a self-help book aimed primarily at Buddhist parents who want to impart their beliefs and meditative practices to their children. The main thrust of the book is towards nurturing parenthood, employing meditative pondering, recognizing children's own identities and momentary self evaluation for maximum momentary awareness.

The 400-plus-page book includes Zen-based philosophical approaches to day-to-day parenting, emphasizing how contemplative meditation may ease family and developmental stresses. The authors of EVERYDAY BLESSINGS: THE INNER WORK OF MINDFUL PARENTING, a husband-and-wife team, apply such Zen ideals as mindfulness, total acceptance, the perpetual quest for enlightenment and living in the moment to the nitty-gritty task of parenting young ones.

EVERYDAY BLESSINGS: THE INNER WORK OF MINDFUL PARENTING, received favorable reviews from parenting expert Dr. Benjamin Spock and Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children's Defense Fund.

However, parents attempting to raise their children with traditional, Judeo-Christian values will likely not find EVERYDAY BLESSINGS: THE INNER WORK OF MINDFUL PARENTING helpful at all. The authors maintain that parents ought to function as "Zen masters" in the home, even as they label the parenting process as "an eighteen-year retreat."

Although the Kabat-Zinns emphasize the importance of familial relationships, in the book, they seem to sacrifice traditional family values in the process. Certain, those holding to Judeo-Christian ethos would agree with the importance of parental partnership, parent-child acceptance and enhanced family community, but perhaps not to the detriment of purposeful parenting and the impartation of a moral legacy.

EVERYDAY BLESSINGS: THE INNER WORK OF MINDFUL PARENTING, by Myla Kabat-Zinn and Jon Kabat-Zinn, is now available in both hardcover and paperback.

A Note About the Authors

Jon Kabat-Zinn founded the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, His other books include FULL CATASTROPHE LIVING and WHEREVER YOU GO, THERE YOU ARE. He has appeared on the PBS series HEALING AND THE MIND with Bill Moyers and on OPRAH.

Myla Kabat-Zinn is a teacher, midwife assistant and environmental activist. Together, they have three adult children.

Learn more about this author, Linda Ann Nickerson.
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