You're at a playground with your child, and you strike up a conversation with another parent. The two of you have a good rapport, the kids seem to like each other, and you are hopeful of forming a supportive friendship.

Then something happens and you realize your new friend practices conventional, coercive, adversarial parenting. Your hopes are dashed as it now seems you are incompatible.

But is it really so? What if you could enjoy each other anyway?

Today, practice witnessing how you react when you see parents parenting in ways you dislike. Just be present with whatever feelings come up in you. Tell yourself, "It's not about them, it's about something in me."

Something in you wants to be met without judgment and accepted unconditionally.

Stay present with those feelings until you feel them shift, then give your full attention back to the other parent and see what you see. You may find that they look a lot less wicked, more human, and easier to appreciate.

Continued...