Mindfulness means focusing on the present moment. While everyone must consider the past to learn from previous mistakes and imagine future events to calculate risks, well-adjusted individuals know how to concentrate on what’s happening now to deal with stress, manage emotions and overcome adversities.
This cognitive skill is something your children must master to stay mentally fit as they grow. They can learn it on their own as they mature and develop cognitively. However, intervening to accelerate this skill acquisition is a hallmark of good parenting. Although teaching this to your little ones takes considerable work, you can make inroads when you begin with these seven tips.
- Labeling Inner Experience
Mindful kids know how to respond to various situations because they notice what’s happening inside them. They can identify body sensations, feelings, and thoughts and articulate their inner experience in a given moment.
On the beach, mindful children note the softness of the warm, fine sand beneath their feet and the distinct scent of the sea, even without saying a word. At the same time, they recognize their joy by playing tag with loved ones and thinking it’s the best day of their lives. These kids are living in the present moment without a care.
Teaching your children to be aware of and name what they sense, feel and think allows them to gain insight into their inner experience. The more they get better at thinking inward, the more they can determine the suitable responses to external situations.
- Acknowledging What the Body Does
Body appreciation is an effective mindfulness activity because it requires concentration and discernment. Much of what the human body does is involuntary — and widely underappreciated.
Instruct your young ones to zero in on their heartbeat, breathing, sweat, thirst, hunger and other results of their bodies’ involuntary functions. Encourage them to be more conscious of the amazing capabilities that keep them alive and healthy and realize how mind-blowing life is.
- Demonstrating Breathing Exercises
When done voluntarily, breathing can be a healthy distraction from tension. Impart the magic of taking four deep and slow breaths to induce calmness and relaxation.
Tell your kids to count their breaths and watch their abdomens enlarge and shrink when inhaling and exhaling. They can begin counting loudly before transitioning to their inner voice once they get the hang of the exercise.
- Showing the Power of Hugs
Extended hugs — about a couple of breaths long — can be therapeutic, primarily when your children and the people they hold in their arms breathe synchronically and relax their muscles. The sensation can melt away stress and instantly make them feel better.
Understanding the healing prowess of hugging can turn your kids into a force for good. Encourage them to offer a person who’s feeling down a hug to turn their frown upside down. Treating others how they want others to treat them indirectly trains them to be kind — a universally laudable behavior. Your children can discover empathy when they imagine themselves being the recipient of warm hugs by switching roles in the situation.
- Eating at a Slower Pace
Unrushed mealtimes are an excellent mindfulness teacher. Babies eat like snails naturally — eating is an intense experience since they have 10,000 more taste buds than adults. Stalling at meals may also be a tactic to put off foods they dislike.
Over time, little ones outgrow this behavior to dedicate more time and energy to complex tasks. They may even consider eating a chore. Considering how food engages the senses, reminding your kids to savor every bite is worth it. Help them channel their inner food critic by paying closer attention to appearance, aroma, texture and flavor. Before they know it, they’ll be preoccupied with their meals and have a superb gastronomic experience.
- Thinking of Their Happy Place
Imagination as a mindfulness practice may seem counterintuitive since it diverts attention from what’s happening in the real world. However, envisioning something that improves your children’s mood when the reality is distressful can be soothing.
Building their fantasy worlds and recalling memorable places is healthy escapism. It can prevent them from ruminating on unpleasant experiences they can’t control or change.
- Observing the Surroundings
Being attentive to the external environment balances out the inward-thinking strategies you teach them. It can help your kids appreciate nature and develop healthy situational awareness early on. Intentionally focusing on surrounding stimuli can encourage them to concentrate on what’s in front of them instead of letting their minds wander.
Although leisurely nature walks can be beneficial, you don’t need to explore the great outdoors to teach your children to be mindful of their surroundings. For this activity, you can put up a bird feeder, set up a nest box camera, stroll around your neighborhood or visit a local park. The key is letting your kids dictate the pace as you initiate sharing observations.
Mindful Children Grow Into Mentally Healthy Adults
Mindfulness is too vital a skill not to develop early. Although these strategies can help put your kids on the right track, they will all be in vain if you don’t walk the talk. Lead by example and strive to be a mindful adult so your children can grow with a great role model.