Is the Conscious Parenting Mastery Class Worth It?

Dr. Shefali Tsabary is a bit of a celebrity in the world of parenting. Her work has been positively reviewed by dignitaries of no less note than Oprah Winfrey and the Dalai Lama!

So, you can imagine we at Stuff4Tots were flattered when Dr. Shefali’s team reached out to us and asked us to review her flagship parenting class (and one of the most well-known parenting classes around) “Conscious Parenting Mastery” available at Mindvalley.com.

So what’s all the fuss about, you may ask? Is it really a helpful course or all hype?  Read on to find out….

What is Conscious Parenting Mastery and what are the benefits?

So what is Conscious Parenting; and why do I want to “master it” anyway?

Conscious Parenting can be summarized with the glib sentence “The problem isn’t your kids, it’s you.“

More deeply, it is about reflecting on how your own upbringing, desires and prejudices are projected onto your children and how you raise them.  Its core tenet is that we, as parents, need to change ourselves first before we become obsessed with changing and molding our kids into something they’re not.

The “conscious” part is about being self-aware enough of your own behavior to make mindful and deliberate parenting choices – instead of ‘reacting’ or working by instinct.

Conscious parenting is a fusion of Western psychology and Eastern philosophy.  Its advocates claim that it reduces stress within the family dynamics but, more importantly, builds a long-lasting and deep relationship between a parent and child; one based on mutual trust and respect vs one built on power and domination.

Who is Dr Shefali Tsabary?

Dr Shefali, as she seems to be universally known, was born in Mumbai, India but studied clinical psychology (and now lives) in New York city, USA.

This background seemingly gives her the perfect foundation in both western psychology and eastern philosophical beliefs – the fusion on which Conscious Parenting is based.

Dr. Shefali speaks perfect English but does have a little bit of an accent – however, she is totally understandable.

I must admit I was a little put off by Dr. Shefali at first. Her Bollywood looks and Hollywood friends coupled with her perfectly staged videos and photo headshots are quite initimdating and far removed from any parenting that I know.

However, I soon warmed to her.  She is clearly intelligent and knows her subject inside out. But, more importantly than that, she is very witty and down-to-earth and there’s no doubt she “gets” parenting and the challenges that the modern family faces.

What does the Conscious Parenting Mastery program include?

Basically, it is a 35-day program taking you through a “step-by-step roadmap for evolving your relationship between you, your child, and your inner child.”

There is a daily video lesson of about 15 to 20 minutes taking you through topics such as 7 Common Parenting Myths, Getting To Root of Fear, Accept & Love Yourself and From a Parent to a Spiritual Guide.

To be honest, we felt a little intimidated by it at first view but we decided to press on as there must be some reason why Dr. Shefali and her courses are so popular.

And we’re so glad we did. There are a ton of golden nuggets in Conscious Parenting Mastery and its value far exceeds its price tag.

You can sign up to Dr Shefali’s course at https://www.mindvalley.com/conscious-parenting.  It costs $449 for Digital Access so it’s not cheap – however, it’s hard to put a price on the value you get from this course.

Conscious Parenting Mastery Review – Course Information

Check out our video below which shows you what you get when you sign up:

Or if you’d like to test it out first, Dr. Shefali, along with her partner Vishan Lakhiani, offer a free Parenting Masterclass “How To Raise Confident, Authentic Children By Truly Connecting Not Correcting Them” which you can register for here.

In terms of the course content there are 35 daily lessons plus a weekly Q&A call.  There is also a discussion forum and a Facebook group plus weekly course guides and summaries via pdf.

The lessons are grouped into 5 weekly blocks:

• Week 1 – Our Roots of Parenting
• Week 2 – Changing the Mindset
• Week 3 – Changing You
• Week 4 – Changing the Relationship
• Week 5 – Integration

The daily videos are only about 15-20 minutes long but they are quite intense.  The reason is that they contain so much value that it’s hard to take everything in.  You really have to concentrate and pay attention.  Trust us it’s worth it though.

The discussion forum and FB group are super-valuable too.  It’s always good to hear how other parents are doing – no doubt there’s others struggling with the same concept as you; or having the same lightbulb moment as you! It’s really motivating.

The part of the course we enjoyed most was the weekly Q&A calls with Dr. Shefali herself.  Gone is the artificial studio setting and the well-polished script.  Instead you get to see her true personality and her witty take on modern parenting.

Who would most benefit from Conscious Parenting Mastery?

Conscious Parenting is based on proven scientific principles but the concept of self-reflection and meditation can be a bit ‘woo-woo’ and alien to some.

Meditation and mindfulness are becoming more and more mainstream in the West these days and, as long as you have an open mind and are prepared to give it a go, then this course should be of benefit to you and your family.

And, in fact, because a lot of the course is about self-reflection and internal change, you don’t even need to be a parent to benefit from this course.  All relationships and interactions will benefit from the learnings of this course and you, as an individual, will likely be calmer and less stressed.

Who is Conscious Parenting Mastery not for?

If you are looking for a quick fix or a ‘7 step guide to being a perfect parent’ then this is not for you.

You’ve had a lifetime to become who you are.  Changing your biases and projections is not going to happen overnight.

If you are not prepared to put in the time and effort to do this course then it’s probably not for you.  It is 35 days long and is quite intense. We totally believe it is worth the effort – but do be prepared to work at it.  You’re not going to be spoon-fed snake oil here.

Conscious Parenting Mastery Review – A down-to-earth perspective from a mom just like you

Don’t just take our word for it.

To get a second opinion we asked one of our Stuff4Tots writers – mom of 2 and registered nurse Angela – to run through the course and give us her take on it.

We totally respect Angela’s point of view as she is a no-BS single mom who tells it how it is.

Here’s what Angela thought:

Dirty diapers, smiles, hormonal swings, cuddles, and kisses are just a touch of a Parents’ Day. New parents or veteran parents – it just does not matter because every day is a new adventure.

I want to talk to you about this parenting course that is what I call unconventional and off the beaten path.

However, it will help you with any uneasiness of raising your little peanut, your growing boy, or your hormonal teen.

It takes a completely different approach to almost any of the parenting courses I have seen or been a part of and thus far it has opened me up to a whole different perspective.

The course is through Mindvalley and is called Conscious Parenting Mastery. I want to say I am usually a skeptic on courses and whatnot, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Yes, it is a bit longer than I normally would expect, but it is worth your time.

As I have grown older and, hopefully, wiser, I have learned there are many ways to do pretty much everything.

You get that fancy new dishwasher; you must put it together and set it up. You get that new smart television, again you must get it all set up and hooked up to get the best bang for your buck.

I mean who wants a smart TV that is not hooked up to the internet? Or who wants a smart TV that is hooked up to WIFI, but you do not understand how to use a majority of the features.

You can try and set it up without directions and you will probably get some sort of hang of it, but you will most likely get frustrated, angry.

Just like with children, this course is focused on unlocking and supporting your child as they figure out their path. This is a guide to help both you and your parenting abilities in a whole different way.

Again, all your answers are never going to be answered, even if you take a billion and one classes and raise 37 children, but I would rather have all the tools in my toolbox and know how to use them than walk around blindly.

This course just gave me a slew of new information I plan to use and keep using for my children.

So, let us start with this review or summary or whatever you would like to call it.

One downfall is that this course is fairly long. I do hope they come up with a shorter more cliff notes course for parents who just don’t have the time for the full-length course, but want to gain the knowledge and style of parenting this course has to offer.

I will add that the course in my opinion is still worth the time no matter the length. The website is very easy to maneuver around and as a person who is not the best with techy stuff, it found it user friendly.

The introductory information of this course explains exactly what conscious parenting is and why it is a better form of parenting.

The course focuses on conscious parenting which is described as almost going against the norm.

It is not about what every other parent is doing, but what each child needs at any given time.

It is a different look at parenting and how to engage with your inner child along with your children.

What I like about this course is that it allows you to step out of the box and engage with your children on a different level.

You are not trying to make a cookie-cutter child that reaches goals set on paper by some doctor but allowing your child to learn and grow with what they specifically need. Let them grow into the person they want to be and guide them with the tools to become that person.

In this course, you will have an abundance of information and gain some insight in an almost therapeutic manner.

It is more of a spiritual pathway as well.

There are places to write stuff down, diary-like pages and you get to answer questions and make goals that you probably have not actually sat down and thought about.

It makes you see things differently and possibly more with an open or become a more free-minded person.

There are examples of different things in the course, but one hit home and gave me goosebumps.

There is talk about how I guess selfish parents can be without actually realizing it. As a parent, you have your own set of expectations and goals for your children. You have some type of vision that you see for your children and how you want your family to be. It is not wrong, but as I am too a parent and I also feel like my expectations for my children are mainly of my own and not what they are wanting to be.

I am fighting sometimes tooth and nail to get them to do something when in all reality I am living vicariously through them or I am trying to force my visions onto them. I realized that is not fair to them or anyone.

I mean if you take the child out of the picture and make it an adult, you would not be forcing an adult to do something they do not want to or act a certain way. Then why do not we allow our children to find out their dreams and pathways with our help?

I dreamt of traveling to sporting events with my children and watching them be the star player. I also could not wait to put that bumper sticker on my car that says my kids on the A honor roll.

What I got is children who are not into sports, and it took me a long while to accept that because it was my idea of the “perfect” child. I needed to realize that the A honor roll is difficult and as much as I want my children to succeed, they need to strive to their best of abilities.

What I am trying to get at here is that when you look at parenting in this light and learn to accept that, it makes it a whole lot easier. You do not have to compare yourself to everyone else but enjoy the child you have and help them grow into the person they want to be. And that long-winded example was my first look and mind blown experience into this course.

I have a teenager and a toddler and I will tell you what, this approach has helped tremendously with my teenager because it gives him the reigns to be his person without me forcing my stuff down his throat.

During the course, you will find that each day there is new and different information and videos. The videos are informative and very down to earth. I almost look forward to the new videos as they contained so much new information and they are (for the most part) short as well. Even as an adult, sometimes my attention span or time to listen to something is shorthanded. 

Also, within the course, there is an emphasis on community. What I mean is not to go out and preach it to the world that you are conscious of parenting, but to look for like-minded people and engage them, support them, and help each other out.

There is an online community you can join and ask questions. It is real-life people going through the same journey as you are. This is not about changing your children and molding them into the well-abiding citizen you want, but to unlock their quest and be there to enhance the experience.

I want to end on the fact that even though this was an eye-opener for me or maybe some people already think this is a commonsense approach to children, there is so much information to gain from this course.

I tend to think of myself and a pretty laid back mom that lets their children experiment and tinker with things on their own so that they learn on their own, but this gave me so much more insight into other things and has really helped me open doors with my teenager with this different style.

Conscious Parenting Mastery Review – Summary

After our inital scepticism we decided to go in to Dr Shefali’s course with an open mind and give it a fair shot.

Actually, that’s not 100% true. We’re busy, like everyone else, so we decided to skim through the course and write a high-level overview.

However, it soon became clear to us how amazing Conscious Parenting Mastery is and how valuable it would be to us as parents.  So we soon scrapped the skim and attended all 35 days of the course – taking all the exercises and giving it our best go.

In fact, we fully intend to go back and review it another time.  There are so many valuable pointers and tips in every lesson that it’s hard to keep up with the golden nuggets.

In short, we whole-heartedly recommend checking out Conscious Parenting Mastery by Dr. Shefali Tsabary.

It isn’t cheap but the value of implementing the lessons learnt here will give you rewards worth far more – and will keep giving rewards for the rest of your life.

You can sign up to Dr Shefali’s course at https://www.mindvalley.com/conscious-parenting.  It costs $449 for Digital Access so it’s not cheap – however, it’s hard to put a price on the value you get from this course.

There is also a Spanish version.

Or if you’d like to test it out first, Dr. Shefali, along with her partner Vishan Lakhiani, offer a free Parenting Masterclass “How To Raise Confident, Authentic Children By Truly Connecting Not Correcting Them” which you can register for here.

We actually recommend you spend a little extra and sign up for the Mindvalley All Access program.  This is another 150 bucks but you get access to all of Mindvalley’s programs for that and it works out at less than $2 a day.  There are some great courses in there – such as Be Extraordinary, Super Brain by Jim Kwik, Speak and Inspire, and Money EQ.  There’s plenty of value to be had and more courses are added all the time.

If you are interested in brushing up on your skills there are dozens of online parenting courses you can take. 

Perhaps the Positive Parenting Solutions course would be to your liking? 

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