How To Train A Wild Elephant – Week 6

Posted on September 29, 2021

“Stay close to your kids because they are self-harming more than ever before” – High School Student

Last week, I had the honor of speaking at the William S.Hart Union High School District’s first Parent Forum for the 2021-2022 school year. This online event organized by the District’s Wellness Center Department hosted close to 50 parents. My presentation spotlighted the importance of  Mindful Parenting during this ever-changing pandemic — which has left both parents and children pivoting constantly over the last year and a half.

We all know that Mental Health is one of the biggest challenges we are facing today — especially for our children. My goal was to give parents a Pandemic Parenting Essentials (PPE) toolbox that supported parents with both perspective and tools to carry them through this ever changing pandemic. As always, I feel privileged and grateful for such opportunities that can make a difference in our children’s lives. The highlight and awakening came though from a conversation I had with a high schooler when I was prepping for my presentation. At the end of my exploration of the school climate from a student’s perspective and the challenges that our teens are faced with, I asked this teen if they had a message that I could relay to parents on behalf of their peers. In  their own words….

“This is such a difficult time. Most high schoolers are feeling the pressure of grades even during this pandemic — so they stop telling their parents or teachers that they are struggling. This makes us feel alone and affects our mental health. More than ever before, I see  my peers doing drugs and vaping. I know this is their escape. So please check in on your kids. Stay close to your kids because they are self-harming more than ever before. Please address our mood swings because we don’t always know how to handle our emotions”.

This is an important callout to parents to become more aware of what mental health is all about. Mental health issues are a direct result of not knowing how to manage our complicated inner worlds. Through classes and mini workshops I have spent the last year dedicated to offering parents tools and perspectives to support their children. This can all be accessed on my School Of Growth platform. If you are unable to pay for the classes, please reach out to me ( roma@toolsofgrowth.com ) and I’d be happy to offer you a discounted or free coupon code.

In addition, this is why I also host Mindfulness Meditation Monday — a FREE 30 minute drop-in every Monday at 8pm PST. Here, parents, educators (and anyone who feels drawn) learn about mindfulness and explore meditation — both priceless resources to understand our inner world, build our mindfulness muscle and grow our mental wealth. When we are better equipped to manage our inner world, we are better equipped to support our children!

This is also Week 6 of an eight-week session of our How to Train a Wild Elephant practice group! Each Monday we take away a practice for the week. To get a glimpse, you can access previous sessions for FREE here. Last week, we practiced bringing awareness to and noticing our hands. Thank you all for sharing your experiences on our WhatsApp group. If you are new to Mindfulness Meditation Monday, I promise you will never feel lost. Each session stands alone as much as it is connected to previous sessions.

Please register here: https://bit.ly/mmmwithroma

I’ll be looking forward to seeing your tonight.

In Joy,