MINDFUL PARENTING AND CAREGIVING
A 10-week, 20+ hour hybrid live and pre-recorded course created by Harvard psychologist Dr. Christopher Willard
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Embark on a transformative journey to cultivate a deeper embodiment of mindfulness and mindful values.
You are in the right place if you would like to...
gather valuable tools, insights, and strategies to navigate the complexities of raising children
develop self-awareness that leads to personal growth, increased confidence, and a more fulfilling and harmonious relationship with your children
learn mindfulness practices and techniques that help them develop emotional resilience and create a nurturing and supportive environment for their children to thrive.
connect with supportive community of like-minded individuals to share experiences, and receive support and encouragement along the way.
INTRODUCING
"MindfulParenting and Caregiving"
A carefully curated course for caregivers of all kinds who aspire to cultivate a deeper embodiment of mindfulness and mindful values.
for parents and caregivers like you
Join author, psychologist, and father Dr. Christopher Willard in this online training for anyone interested in deepening family connection, instilling lasting values, finding more joy and meaning in everyday interactions that will echo throughout.
Mindful Parenting and Caregiving program is a 10-week, 20+ hour hybrid live and pre-recorded course created by Harvard psychologist Dr. Christopher Willard.
Over the course of our 10 weeks together, we will:
Explore the Essence of Kindness and Generosity
Discover the joy and fulfillment (and the science) that arises from kindness and generosity, not just towards others but within your family too. Our interactive sessions are designed to inspire and nurture a giving spirit, enriching everyone’s lives with happiness and contentment.
Embrace Mindfulness and Equanimity
In the hustle and bustle of family life, it’s easy to lose sight of the present. Our course offers practical and mindfulness for all ages to handle growing up with grace and equanimity.
Mindful Ethics for the 21st Century
How do we feel about sex, drugs and rock and roll now that we are caregivers? How can we broach these conversations, as well as those about privilege, race, social media, screens and more? Through thought-provoking discussions and activities, the course helps you understand and embody your own “family values,” that match today’s world.
Engage in Meaningful Bonding and Attachment
At the heart of the course is the belief that learning and growing together strengthens family bonds- every scientific and spiritual tradition agree. Each module is designed to encourage fun, family friendly ways to deepen your commitment to yourselves, each other, and the suffering world.
Access to Expert Facilitators and a Supportive Community
You’re not alone- Dr. Chris and my experienced facilitators re committed to guiding you every step of the way, ensuring a fulfilling learning experience. Moreover, you’ll be part of a community of like-minded caregivers, all on their own journeys of growth and kindness.
COURSE STRUCTURE
Each week will cover a different topic, with 4-5 short videos adding up to about an hour each week. You can watch these videos on your own time. We will explore weekly reflection questions and practice on our own and with accountability partners during the week.
2-3 times a month, we will gather live online in a group of about 25 students with Dr. Willard to discuss themes of the week and explore questions to deepen our practice and teaching skills.
Participants will gain a certificate from Dr. Willard by the end of the course attesting to their knowledge and attendance.
WEEKLY THEMES
The Power of Generosity
Cultivating a generous heart in our families, from generosity of sharing the privilege we have. Nurturing generosity of wisdom, kindness and spirit.
Ethics for the 21st Century
What can wisdom and science tell us about sex, drugs and rock and roll? A lot it turns out, especially as we take stock the values we grew up with, and the ones we want to shed and add going forward.
Simplicity
Less is More : How sorting our material consumption, emotional baggage, and our environmental footprint all cultivate harmony and wise consumption in a consumer society. What’s more, we can put an end to the worship of “busy-ness” that plagues so many families in the modern world.
Wisdom
What Wisdom is in the Beginner’s Mind? Can we build ourselves a better brain? Cultivating wise and compassionate perspectives on our experiences can.
Energy
How can we cultivate greater independence and interdependence in our kids and communities? How can we avoid over- or under-parenting and find a middle path to support emotional and spiritual growth at all ages.
Patience
In a time of instant gratification, how can our families learn to slow down, manage our impulses. What was the Buddha able to do to sit under that tree and delay gratification that we could share with our own children and teens?
Integrity
Young people face more temptations that ever to wander from a path of integrity. How can we find and live in integrity according to our deepest values in a culture that pushes adults and young people to take ethical shortcuts?
Growth Mindset
What are the conditions under which adults and children alike keep moving toward goals that matter, and don’t give up in the face of an overwhelmingly challenging and complex world?
Kindness
Perhaps less than a mindful world, what we need is a compassionate world. What do both science and traditional spirituality have to teach us about cultivating compassion, and the benefits of doing so?
Finding Balance
If we’re only as happy as least happy child, how do we roll with the 10,000 sorrows and joys of caregiving? How and when do we let go?