His mom’s journey inspired his own

When my colleague’s 17-year-old son attended my introductory Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens’ workshop and then signed for a Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens class, I asked if her son, Grant, would be up for being interviewed for my podcast. To my delight, Grant said yes!

My interview with Grant revealed a few important things:

1. His mom’s mindfulness and self-compassion journey in his early teens ignited his own. According to Grant, before his mom began practicing mindfulness and self-compassion, she tended to get frustrated with his big feelings, and they would have conflict. After his mom started practicing mindfulness and self-compassion, she became more understanding with Grant and helped him learn how to handle his emotions.
2. One of Grant’s biggest take-aways from the mindfulness and self-compassion classes for teens was learning that he was not alone with his struggles. In my work with kids, I call this habit the “Buddy” habit. When Grant discovered that his peers struggled with difficult thoughts, he became less judgmental and accepting of himself, too.
3. Non-judgmental awareness paves the road for new choices over time. Grant emphasized again and again how self-reflecting and observing his own patterns gradually helped him have the courage to make new choices that were more beneficial for him.

Scroll down for take-aways for grown-ups. You can watch the podcast here on Substack, on Apple podcasts or your favorite podcast app. If you click the link below, you can watch the video of our interview on Youtube.

Take aways for grown-ups:

• Your own self-compassion matters. Even if your child is grown, even if you don’t have children…your increased ability to be mindful and self-compassionate will help you show up more compassionately for others.
• There is tremendous power in helping your child understand and experience that they are not alone (We Are in It Together!!). Share your struggles, and model being mindful and self-compassionate in the midst of them.
• Kids are on their own journeys. If you keep practicing mindfulness and self-compassion, your child will notice, and eventually they may choose to go on their own mindfulness and self-compassion journey, too. I’m also a big fan of planning “celebrations” for your child when they take a Mindfulness and Self-Compassion class.

This September I’m teaching both an MSC and a Fierce Self-Compassion course. The early bird discount for the Fierce Self-Compassion course is good through August 27th. An investment in yourself is an investment in your family (and the world!).

I also have an upcoming parent-teen MSC-T workshop and a Parent-Child Mindfulness and Self-Compassion class. And I’m offering a Parenting with Self-Compassion workshop for the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion on August 27th.

Workbooks can also be a great way to grow self-compassion. I’ve heard wonderful things about the Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, and my Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Workbook for Kids will be released in October (preorders for volume 1 will be opening soon).

The most important thing is to keep growing your own resources of mindfulness and self-compassion. As Grant said in the interview: be aware, forgive yourself and try new things!

Wishing you light and love,

Jamie Lynn

P.S. My older daughter got sick right before our family camping trip, so we curtailed our plans and camped just one night at a nearby campground. My favorite moment was laying in the tent with my daughters, giggling. It felt like we were sisters.