Student Parent Meet-Up

Join us for a social with the Family Care Office peer mentors. Refreshments will be provided. Childcare and snacks will be provided for children up to 12 years of age. Babies should stay with the parent if not yet mobile.

After you drop off your children at the Early Learning Centre (OISE location), join the other student parents for a workshop on Mindful Parenting.

In Mindful Parenting we apply mindfulness principles to the art of parenting as a way to build a strong child-parent relationship and increase the well-being of both parent and child. In this introductory workshop, parents will learn about the key elements of Mindful Parenting, including listening with full attention, becoming aware of emotions, developing a non-judgemental attitude, accepting difficulties and challenges, building compassion and acceptance, and embracing mistakes as opportunities. Parents will not only experience practical exercises in the workshop, but also bring home tools and techniques for increasing presence, patience, and compassion towards self and child.

Facilitator: Mari Rossi has been teaching yoga and mindfulness for parents and children since 2006, and this is her fifth year facilitating the Family Care Office’s Mindful Parenting series. She also teaches an online Mindful Parenting course at Indiana University. Mari has a degree in Psychology, with an specialization in Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health, and is currently a doctoral student in the Women and Gender Studies Institute at U of T. Between her academic pursuits and mindfulness teaching, Mari finds time for her most important work: parenting her six year-old son and eight year-old daughter.

Relax, unwind and meet other student parents who understand your challenges and concerns!

If you require child care for this session, please call our office at 416-978-0951 or email us at: family.care@utoronto.ca We will require the names of your children and ages.

All U of T student parents and their partners are welcome. Registration required. Please let us know if you have any mobility challenges so we can accommodate your needs.