How to teach your Child Mindfulness

How to teach your Child Mindfulness

Teaching your child mindfulness from a young age instils in them a firm belief that they are in charge of their thoughts and feelings.

According to Jo Howarth, author of Glad to Be Dan, mindfulness encourages children to face difficult emotions rather than ignoring them. Like physical wounds, emotions have to be attended to. If we do not pay attention to emotional wounds, just like physical wounds, they are bound to become worse.

Howarth further establishes that mindfulness can help children to control anxieties and negative thoughts. She claims that thoughts are just thoughts and should not be given power over anybody’s life.

With children, the feeling that they are not in control of their lives is a common phenomenon. There are teachers and parents all over them, telling them what to do, and this could lead to frustrations, anger and could fuel difficult behaviour.

Ways Mindfulness can help Children

• Mindfulness boosts your child’s social, physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
• Tones down stress and anxiety
• Boosts self-esteem, sense of empathy and can improves their sleep.
• Helps them remain calm and learn the ability to control emotions
• Boosts concentration, memory retention and contributes to other cognitive performances

How to teach your Child Mindfulness

Some of the simplest ways to teach your children to be mindful include:

• Talking about thoughts and emotions.
• Teaching deep breathing techniques to help them relieve tension. Do this every morning as you bid them goodbye or whenever they seem stressed.
• Giving your child space so they have time to reflect without your interference.
• Lead by example. As you teach your children to be mindful, lead by example. Be patient with them and have fun too.

Mindfulness Benefits for your Child

According to research, mindfulness is a critical intervention to several behavioural challenges that Children face.

A study in 2015 involving students aged between 10 and 11 participating in a mediation program established significant improvements in the following executive functions, cognitive flexibility, memory, cognitive control and better grades in mathematics.

Another study in South Korea showed that meditation reduced aggression, anxiety and stress levels while another recent study published in the Journal Mindfulness noted improvements in Mathematics for fifth graders with deficit hyperactivity disorder.

In another instance, Jason Moore established that after introducing mindfulness to the curriculum in Queen’s School in Kew, he had noted significant positive changes. Whether in exam situations or playground endeavours, the students dealt with difficult situations more appropriately.

Final Thoughts

Teaching your child mindfulness has many benefits and sets the perfect foundation for a long and happy life.