What is SMARTT Parenting?
SMARTT Parenting is designed to help loving and attuned mothers avoid making parenting mistakes by incorporating evidence-based techniques informed by neuroscience, as well as ancient contemplative practices and meditation techniques. Mothers learn how to shape their children’s minds for resilience, competence, success and happiness.
In parenting it is important to understand that our kids are born with a very underdeveloped brain (it takes the human brain about 20-25 years to mature). Babies don’t know how to think - they only know how to feel. One of the most important factors in parenting is parenting by modeling. Being a parent myself I know how hard it is to be relaxed when you are challenged and unsure how to handle emotionally charged situations. It is hard to model being calm and happy when you are pushed into so many different directions.
When I was a young mother in the 70-ies there was very little help available. There was no such thing as parenting coaching, and very little was known about the brain and the mind. Starting in the 80-ies with the advent of new brain imaging technologies neuroscience experienced a revolution, and today the field of psychology and child development has many answers to the questions that many parents may be asking. I find it empowering to know what the brain does, how the mind is developing, and I greatly enjoy helping good mothers be great by incorporating this knowledge into effective parenting practices.
Using research in the field of interpersonal neurobiology, we now know that we can affect another’s mind and brain. Our brain is equipped and biologically wired to pick up other people’s feelings.
Science Behind The SMARTT Model
When a mother is in the "green zone"—a relaxed state—the child is more likely to feel relaxed as well. Conversely, when the mother is stressed, the child picks up on this too. Evolution has wired our brains to function in two primary states: reactive (fight-or-flight response) and receptive (relaxation response). In the reactive "red zone," we often feel overwhelmed by our emotions, making it difficult to think clearly and make sound decisions. The brain is in a "fight, flight, freeze, or faint" state, which hampers our reasoning abilities. In contrast, when the brain is in a receptive state—the "green zone"—we feel calm, relaxed, and resourceful. Wouldn't it be wonderful to stay in the "green zone" most of the time? Easier said than done.
What evolution didn’t teach our brains is how to "pause and plan," or operate in the "yellow zone." Pausing and planning are sophisticated functions that the brain is highly capable of learning, thanks to the prefrontal cortex. By following the SMARTT Checklist, mothers can learn to access the "yellow zone," integrating all three parts of the brain to achieve a "whole brain state" and bring themselves into the "green zone." This practice helps mothers feel more resilient, competent, and self-trusting, allowing them to model the SMARTT way to their children.
The SMARTT Parenting Model provides a clear path for mothers to learn how to parent from the inside out.