Mindfulness may be well-known among adults, but children can practice it too! The state of being mindful has creative ways for your child to experience the state of awareness. Being mindful can be fun and interactive too. We listed down few meditation activities that you can teach to your child.
Benefits of Mindfulness for Kids
There are many studies regarding the beneficial effects of mindfulness to adults, but little is known about the effects of mindfulness to the kids. Here’s what you should know about mindfulness and how it will benefit your child:
- Stress Reduction – Kids gets stressed too. Mindfulness has the ability of shifting your child’s focus from one thing to another. It helps remove their present worries at home or at school and their focus on practicing mindfulness. It helps redirect and train how their minds will react during unexpected situations.
- Emotional Regulation – Children are expressive of their emotions. One study that focused on the different attention and behavioral issues found out that mindfulness is an effective therapy for them. Aside from training them to focus, it also reduces the anxiety that they are feeling and regulates the different emotions that they experience.
- Cognitive Improvement – Children have a certain set of skills that allows them to focus on the tasks given to them by following the instructions or directions set. These are important especially when they began schooling. Mindfulness has the ability to improve these set of skills leading to a better adaptability when at school.
- Strengthens Self–Control – Mindfulness involves focusing a person’s attention on the body and feel the different sensations as it overwhelms the body. This is also true for the children. Mindfulness, when practiced by a child, not only shifts their attention but it also helps control their body and their selves too.
- Improves Mood – Accepting the present moment is a vital part of mindfulness meditation. During this time, one should accept the emotions and experiences while meditating. This teaches your child to accept the pleasant and unpleasant emotions and eventually makes their emotional health good.
- Good Social and Communication Skills – Kids are social beings. They can’t stop talking and playing with each other. Mindfulness improves their social and communication skills even at a young age. It increases their awareness of their emotions and other’s too. They are going to be good listeners and talker when they grow up, indeed!
Mindfulness for Toddlers
Mindfulness for toddlers may not be as popular as that of mindfulness for adults but both are definitely proven to be beneficial in improving the overall health of a person. Many are curious as to how one can teach a toddler how to practice mindfulness without teaching them the complicated steps. We researched for different techniques and strategies on how you can promote mindfulness to your toddler.
1. Validate their Feelings
Being aware of the present fully is a great feature of mindfulness. This means that emotions should be accepted, either good or bad, to better understand ourselves.
In order for our children to do this, parents should validate the emotions of our children. Let them understand that whatever they are currently feeling, pleasant or not, is ok to have. Being empathic and showing them kindness will lead to a better expression of their emotions.
How to apply this: Whenever your child is upset or shares to you their feelings, try not telling them thing such as “You’re ok” or “It’ll pass”. Instead, put yourself in their shoes and express that you understand whatever emotion it is by saying, “You are sad because I said no sweets for today. I get sad too when I can’t eat what I want, too.”
2. Identify or Name the Feelings
Talk with your child about the different emotions, also include the different thoughts and physical sensations that experienced along with it. Giving names to these feelings will lead to better understanding of emotions for your child. They will not only understand theirs but other people’s feelings too.
Try your best to explain to them why we can’t control the emotions that we feel but we can try to choose the best way to react to these emotions. Teach them to think first rather than react mindlessly to these situations that gives them different emotions.
How to apply this: As a parent you feel emotions too, when you find yourself frustrated, mad or overwhelmed regarding a certain situation, let them know. In this way they are able to understand your feelings and your response. For example, “Mommy is feeling really overwhelmed right now. I will just take a walk to calm myself.”
3. One with Nature
Children loves the nature as it is the best playground where their senses are heightened and are developed. Let them run on the grass barefoot or feel the breeze of the cold air outside. Experiencing nature is the best way for them to practice mindfulness.
How to apply this: Go on a walk with your child in a park. While walking, point out some things like, “Look at the flower, the color is beautiful! Do you want to smell it?” or “Close your eyes and listen to the birds chirping around us.”. Toddlers are curious and so being one with nature will definitely be a fun and wonderful experience for them.
Let us know if you tried any of the strategies listed above and how it affected your child. If their attitude and behaviors improved or their tantrums lessened. Any improvements or changes you noticed on your child while practicing mindfulness.