Mindful Discipline ─ A Loving Approach to Setting Limits and Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child

Kids need both love and limits in order to thrive. In Mindful Discipline, internationally recognized mindfulness expert Shauna L. Shapiro and pediatrician Chris White offer parents simple yet powerful tools for raising mindful, respectful, and responsible children, and redefines discipline itself as a loving, nurturing approach?one that will yield both short and long-term positive results.

In this book, Shapiro and White outline the five elements of mindful discipline: unconditional love, space for children to be themselves, mentorship and transfer of values, and admitting your mistakes. By letting your children witness your own personal struggles (and positive responses to those struggles) you will set an example that will stay with them for their entire lives, and help them to grow into happy, healthy adults.

Grounded in clinical studies and the latest research in mindfulness and neuroscience, this book will teach you how to foster your child's emotional intelligence and self-esteem while also encouraging genuine cooperation. With simple practices, such as honoring your child's strengths, setting limits, and setting a positive example, you can teach your child the self-discipline and resilience they will need to thrive in life.

Being a parent is tough work, but traditional forms of discipline can actually make it harder. Instead of trying to change your child’s behavior, try changing the way you communicate with hem?you will often find that good behavior naturally follows.

Shauna L. Shapiro, PhD, is a professor at Santa Clara University, a clinical psychologist, an internationally recognized
expert in mindfulness, and a mother. With 20 years of meditation experience studying in Thailand and Nepal, as well as in the West, Shapiro brings an embodied sense of mindfulness to her scientific work. She has published over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles, and coauthored the critically acclaimed professional text, The Art and Science of Mindfulness, with a foreword by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Shapiro is the recipient of the American Council of Learned Societies teaching award, acknowledging her outstanding contributions to graduate education and has been invited to lecture for the King of Thailand, the Danish Government, Andrew Weil’s Integrative Medicine program, and the World Council for Psychotherapy, Beijing, China, Her work has been featured in Wired Magazine, USA Today, Oxygen, The Yoga Journal, and the American Psychologist. Shauna lives in Mill Valley, California, with her eight year old son, Jackson.

Chris White, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician, parent educator, and life coach. He is the creator and director of Essential Parenting, an organization that supports the psycho-emotional development of children and their parents. Chris lives with his two boys, Kai and Bodhi, and the love of his life, Kari, just north of San Francisco, California.