On the flight back from Copenhagen, where Dr. Shauna Shapiro had spent the last two weeks teaching, she experienced a wave of anxiety. It was the longest time she’d been away from her nine-year-old son, Jackson, and she felt guilty. So, she decided that she’d devote her first day back to spending time with him and reminding him of her love.

When Shapiro returned to her California home, she noted the weather was perfect for a mother-son beach day. She enthusiastically packed a bag full of Jackson’s favorite foods, imagining a picnic along the shore that would demonstrate her care for him. But as Shapiro was egging Jackson on to get ready, he said that he didn’t want to go. She saw that he was frustrated and tense.

At first, Shapiro was upset that Jackson wasn’t cooperating with her plan to be an amazing mom. She then realized, though, that she’d lost focus of her goal: to remind her son of her love. To comfort Jackson, Shapiro sat beside him on their porch and immediately noticed his muscles relax and impatience dissipate. Though it wasn’t what she imagined, Shapiro showed her affection by spending a quiet afternoon with Jackson, enjoying each other and watching ants crawl by on the ground.

Shapiro, a psychology professor at University of Santa Clara,  deployed the anecdote to explain “intention,” one of three pillars of mindfulness, before an audience of around 350 parents on the evening of May 6 in the Heller Auditorium. Her talk, “The Power of Mindfulness in Parenting and Education,” was the 21st Annual Francine C. Rosenberg Memorial Lecture.

The lecture began with an introduction by Ralph Rosenberg ‘82, Francine Rosenberg’s son. Francine, a former Parker parent,  was a devoted volunteer for the school — she chaired the Parents’ Committee, served as a Trustee, and was Vice President of the Board, among other responsibilities. The Lecture Series is in Francine’s honor, Ralph explained, acknowledging that “nothing was more important to her than the community and learning outside the classroom.”

According to the school’s description, the Lecture Series “is dedicated to exposing Parker and the extended community to innovative views, philosophies and teachings relevant to the education of our children and how we live our lives.” Previous Rosenberg speakers have been Eric Liu, the CEO of Citizen University, and Julie Lythcott-Haims, author of “How to Raise an Adult.”

Shapiro’s philosophy is founded on findings that mindfulness has numerous benefits: reduced stress, increased focus, and most importantly, higher levels of compassion and improved ethical decision-making. “The only way to prepare children is to teach them the skills to make the right choices,” Shapiro said. “That’s teaching mindfulness rather that just right and wrong.”

Throughout the presentation, Shapiro emphasized that “what you practice grows stronger,” referencing the ability for people to change their mindset through commitment and positivity. To practice mindfulness, beyond realizing intentions, she discussed keeping focused attention on the present and holding an “attitude of kindness.”

To conclude, Shapiro led the audience through a guided meditation. “Our intention is to pay attention with kindness and curiosity to whatever you’re feeling right now,” she began. “We’re practicing for ourselves and our loved ones.”

Hattie Horsch, a former Parker parent who was in attendance, found the lecture valuable. “Going forward, I’m going to try to practice the three components of mindfulness that I learned about,” Horsch said. “Really, it’s about taking a pause to be mindful.”

Upper School history teacher Andrew Bigelow heard Shapiro when she addressed the faculty earlier in the afternoon. “I appreciated her words of wisdom and strategies about intention, attention, and kindness.” Bigelow said. “Her soothing, interesting, and somewhat scientific approach to children was helpful.  I do wonder to what extent it is realistic at Parker—would there be buy-in among families or students who are used to a more forward approach?”