What is Adaptive Parenting?
Adaptive Parenting is an approach based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Contextual Behavior Science. The aim is to build psychological flexibility – the ability to adapt to unexpected life events. It is not a prescriptive parenting approach about what to do or not do, but rather focuses on how to be. Building personal resilience and flexibility naturally improves parenting skills and helps parents to be grounded and intentional with their decisions. With psychological flexibility, you can bend rather than break in the face of challenges. This allows you to persist and move towards what’s important despite hardship. The goal is to develop the mental elasticity to be self-aware, determine if your parenting is working in your context, and align it with your values. When parents learn to be Adaptive, they find the answers within themselves rather than needing external parenting advice.