Reflective Parenting
Reflective functioning is the crucial aspect of what attachment researchers call our “uniquely human capacity” to make sense of one another (Fonagy, Gergely, Target & Jurist, 2002). Reflective parenting views children’s behavior as meaningful communication that helps parents better understand their children. This approach to parenting sees the ability to reflect on the meaning behind a child’s behavior as being at the heart of sensitive, reflective parenting and as a key to strengthening parent-child bonds.
Reflective parenting asks the parent to consider how her thoughts and feelings affect the child’s experience and vice versa. It aims to develop reflective functioning skills in parents through listening, observing, and thinking about the intentions and feelings underlying the child’s behavior. Rather than a formulated approach, reflective parenting guides parents to evaluate and look within themselves in order to be a strong, reliable container for their children’s emotions. In this way, parents are able to skillfully and thoughtfully approach any situation that arises.
See also:
Attachment
Mentalization
Mindful Parenting
Mindful Parenting Groups
Mutual Regulation/Co-Regulation
Reflective Parenting Workshops
For further reading:
www.reflectiveparentingprogram.org