Broadening the focus of parenting interventions with mindfulness and compassion

The literature on parenting programs is built on empirically well-grounded models and characterised by widely employed, powerful methodologies and robust measurement. Paradoxically, while programs aim to promote well-being for children and caregivers, outcome measures generally address reductions in unwanted behaviours and negative emotions. Positive parenting offers children many advantages which can also confer psychological advantage for parents. Incorporating approaches including mindfulness and compassion techniques alongside parent training offers opportunities to measure whether conceptual change in planning interventions carries through into broader and better outcomes for families. This commentary questions whether considering positive emotions, expressed emotion and concepts from positive psychology could be empirically tested as pro-social parenting approaches, and the methodological and practical implications of this.