Mindfulness…for kids? Yes, indeed! Here’s how you can help your child infuse it naturally into their daily routine.
Learn
What is “Mindfulness”?
Mindfulness is a form of meditation that can be practiced anywhere and at any time. You can practice mindfulness while practicing yoga, doing dishes or walking to school. When we practice being mindful, we are paying attention to what we are doing in the moment, bringing our thoughts back to the present but without judging them. We are focused on a specific object – a sound, food, location, etc.
Why is “Mindfulness” Beneficial?
Mindfulness can be extremely powerful for children, especially for those who get stuck on a topic or idea. Neuroscience and brain imaging research demonstrates that mindfulness meditation changes brain structure and function, and improves the quality of our thoughts and feelings.
Teaching a child to calm their mind (and body) through mindfulness:
- Improves self-regulation.
- Improves focus.
- Empowers them to control their thoughts, instead of letting their thoughts control them.
Just Remember
- A child’s brain moves nonstop. It’s physically, emotionally and mentally exhausting. Giving them a Mindful Minute – to focus on something other than their thoughts – gives their brains time to rest and recharge.
- Teaching a child to calm their mind (and body) through mindfulness improves self-regulation and focus, and empowers them to control their thoughts, instead of letting their thoughts control them.
Do
Core Marbles
Infuse Mindfulness (Naturally) into Your Daily Routine
- Listen mindfully – When walking to and from a place, find a specific sound to focus on.
- For example, my son and I listen to the birds in the neighborhood on our daily walk to and from school. You can also ask your child to count all the different sounds they hear on that regular walk and see how it changes day to day.
- Eat mindfully – Before your child takes a bite of their snack, ask them to describe what they feel or smell.
- For example, before my son eats an orange, I ask him to notice how it feels in his hands and how it smells. And then as I peel it, I ask him to notice the difference in how it feels and smells. Then finally when he takes a bite, I ask him to describe the texture as he chews, and if it tastes differently when he chews slowly.
- Practice gratitude – Start a bedtime gratitude practice. Before bedtime, spend a few minutes reflecting and talking about five things for which you are grateful. Ask your child to describe how noticing and sharing gratitude makes them feel.
Be a Boat
- Read more for a simple visual exercise.
Take a Mindful Minute
- The more your child practices Mindful Minutes (not necessarily for longer durations), the more your child will learn to control their thoughts. Frequent, short practices are most effective.
Learn from Videos
- Mindfulness month for kids
- Practice gratitude
- How to use a breathing stick
- I am yoga
- Breathe with a pinwheel
Mindfulness is taking the time to notice our thoughts, let them go and then bring ourselves back to what we’re trying to focus on; it’s not to clear our minds of thoughts.
