Practicing meditation with children and learning how to be mindful will not only benefit you, but it will benefit your children as well. When you’re practicing mindfulness, it allows you to be present at the moment without focusing on the results you want to see in your children.
It allows you to be more attentive, easier going, and less likely to concentrate on the performance of a child – whether it’s in the grades he receives in school or how he keeps his room.
Not that those aren’t important, but those won’t be your focus and you won’t give in to emotion and get upset when your child doesn’t reach certain milestones. With mindfulness, you’ll learn not to judge your child’s emotions or behaviors.
You’ll be able to be more compassionate and more understanding when your child does something that he shouldn’t – or doesn’t do what he should do. Meditation with children will allow you to keep a healthy emotional balance between you and your children.
An Easy Guide to Mindfulness & Meditation for Children
This means that you’re less likely to get angry or frustrated when your child starts to act against what you’ve taught him. You’ll be able to see past whatever the situation or problem is to the emotion that your child is experiencing because mindfulness will help you concentrate on the root issue.
Exclusive Article From Bankrate: Coping with COVID: 15 Car-friendly mindfulness activities for kids here…
It’s important that you teach meditation with children on a daily basis because it can benefit them all the way into their adult life. You’ll want to teach them to focus on being aware of their presence and the present moment.
Kids can understand new things better when you engage their senses, so the teaching method that you use for helping them to learn about mindfulness should use some or all of the five senses.
You’ll also want to make sure that they understand the concept of practicing non-judgmental thoughts. This helps them to learn how to understand that thoughts and feelings can be seen through a lens of calmness.
Be sure that your meditation with children technique shows them how they can learn to practice mindfulness even if they can’t sit still to do a session. Mindfulness should never be isolated from its intended purpose and taught as a behavioral concept such as a way to get a child to sit quietly.
Depending on the age of the child, it can help to have set up a specific moment during the day for practicing mindfulness. This can help your child get into the daily habit of mindfulness.
The time limit for practicing mindfulness should be set according to the age of the child. The younger the child, the shorter the attention span. Explain mindfulness to your child and practice with him or her until the child gets the hang of it.
Teaching Your Kids The Act Of Mindfulness
Teach your child how they can use mindfulness in their lives to help them handle things such as calming anxiety. There are several things you can do to help teach your kid mindfulness.
The first is through the use of sounds. You can use bells or chimes, music notes, or any object that can make a sound that will trail off. Instruct your child that the object you have is going to make a noise.
Share with them that they need to concentrate on the noise until the noise has completely faded. Teach them to breathe slowly in and out and to pay attention to their breathing.
Another way that you can teach meditation with children is exactly what adults do, and that’s through the focus on mindful breathing. Teach them to pay attention to the breath as they exhale and inhale.
The child can count the breaths as they exhale. This practice should be done to the count of five. Teach your child that when they’re feeling upset – such as feeling angry or sad to practice breathing to help calm the emotions.
Meditation with children and mindfulness can be taught to children as they play. Mindful play can be done through any kind of hands-on exercise such as drawing or painting. Help the child to begin the activity by breathing in and out slowly.
Have them share with you what they’re experiencing through the five senses such as what they can hear as they’re playing. Stop the exercise when the child is no longer interested.
Sometimes this might be for just a few seconds but other days, it’ll be for a longer time period. Don’t make a child continue on with a mindful exercise if he shows disinterest. You want mindfulness to be something that they look forward to, not something they feel as if they have to do.
Through meditation with children’s techniques in mindfulness, you’ll learn how to respond to situations involving your child rather than reacting. Your child won’t always understand everything that you do, but he will know how you react.
If you react in anger and then walk away, refusing to speak with him, he’ll learn that anger is an acceptable response and that it’s okay not to communicate. Meditation with children and mindfulness can help you communicate more effectively with your children.
A lot of parents spend time with their children without really interacting with them or without really being aware of their children because their minds are millions of miles away.
When you’re mindful of your child, it will help you enjoy being fully present with them – not just physically but emotionally. Meditation with children and mindfulness can help you establish a connection with your child and build bridges where there may have been relationship damage caused by hurt feelings.
You’ll be able to define the emotion involved when you interact with your child. You’ll learn to separate whether your emotion is based on what actually is best for them and your family as a whole or if it’s based on what you thought was best.
When you practice meditation with children, you’ll be less anxious, calmer, more thankful, and more accepting of yourself both as a parent and as a person, and your bond with your child will grow.
Children today are growing up in a world that is going through an intense amount of stress. Sending time with the family often means each individual member slouched in the favorite corners of their living rooms with their own gadgets.
Interaction too is dependent on technology. It is indeed an irony that technology that is supposed to be convenient and efficient is actually alienating us from interpersonal interactions even between close-knit units like families.
Meditation With Children Videos To Get You Started!
Mindfulness Meditation for Kids | Guided Breath Meditation for Children Video
Let your child indulge in this Mindfulness Meditation for Kids… It is a simple but very effective breathing exercise that is an ideal introduction to Mindfulness. This can be used to help ease worries, anxiety, and stress, as well as being a tonic for sleep and relaxation. An idea may be to unwind with your child, listening to this mindfulness meditation together…bliss!
Download the latest Meditation for Kids Mega Packs here: https://newhorizon.selz.com/ 30 of our best Kids Meditations at a reduced price!
Meditation For Children
(Calming activity) Video
This short meditation is based on a set of Qi Gong exercises that focus on breathing and developing your Qi (internal energy). It is important to sit with good posture whilst performing these exercises and focus on your breathing, keeping it steady and regular. In each movement, you breathe in for the first half of the movement and out for the second. For the static movements, keep your breathing slow and constant.
Just as with all of our videos, I recommend practicing this with your kids so you can guide them and encourage them. This practice will help adults just as much as it will help kids!
Mindfulness Meditation for Kids – 5 Minutes Guided Meditation for Children Video
By practicing this mindfulness meditation regularly, children can improve their overall health, boost their positive brain functions, and enjoy the benefits of reducing stress levels for better concentration and well-being daily.
Mindfulness meditation has been shown scientifically to benefit all who practice it regularly, so even parents and grown-ups may want to join in and listen along to this gently spoken, mindful meditation in just 5 minutes!
Guided Meditation for Children | Your Secret Treehouse | Relaxation for Kids Video
This is aimed at making the child feel safe and re-establish feelings of tranquility when suffering challenging emotions such as stress, worry & anxiety. Enjoy your journey to your secret treehouse! More FREE guided meditations for kids HERE!
Guided Meditation for Kids | Spaceship to the Moon | Relaxation for Children Video
In this Guided Meditation for kids, we take the child on a journey in a spaceship to the moon! This is a Guided Imagery Meditation and is a great form of relaxation for children and stretches the imagination.
This is aimed at making the child feel safe and re-establish feelings of tranquility when suffering challenging emotions such as stress, worry & anxiety. Enjoy your journey in your spaceship to the moon!
KIDS MEDITATION –
BUTTERFLY BODY SCAN VIDEO
You can also play this mindful game when you feel restless, uncomfortable, or upset to help soothe and calm your mind and body. To play this mindful game, find a comfortable place to sit or lie down. If you decided to sit, try sitting with your back straight and your body relaxed, resting your hands on your knees. If you’re lying down, lie on your back with your legs flat on the floor and your arms by your sides.
Once you’re nice and cozy, think of a butterfly, and picture it in your mind. It can look exactly like you want it to. Pretend that your butterfly has special powers because it helps you relax different parts of your body when it lands on them.
Then, imagine that the butterfly lands on your forehead, your shoulders, your knees, and then your toes. Wherever the butterfly lands, that part of your body feels warm, comfortable, and relaxed.
Check out more meditation ideas at MyLife.
Be A Better Parent By Being Mindful With Your Kids
Mindfulness will not only benefit you, but it will benefit your children as well. When you’re practicing mindfulness, it allows you to be present at the moment without focusing on results you want to see in your children.
It allows you to be more attentive, easier going, and less likely to concentrate on the performance of a child – whether it’s in the grades he receives in school or how he keeps his room.
Not that those aren’t important, but those won’t be your focus and you won’t give in to emotion and get upset when your child doesn’t reach certain milestones. With mindfulness, you’ll learn not to judge your child’s emotions or behaviors. You’ll be able to be more compassionate and more understanding when your child does something that he shouldn’t – or doesn’t do what he should do.
Mindfulness will allow you to keep a healthy emotional balance with you and your children. This means that you’re less likely to get angry or frustrated when your child starts to act against what you’ve taught him. You’ll be able to see past whatever the situation or problem is to the emotion that your child is experiencing because mindfulness will help you concentrate on the root issue.
Through techniques in mindfulness, you’ll learn how to respond to situations involving your child rather than reacting. Your child won’t always understand everything that you do, but he will know how you react.
If you react in anger and then walk away, refusing to speak with him, he’ll learn that anger is an acceptable response and that it’s okay not to communicate. Mindfulness can help you communicate more effectively with your children.
A lot of parents spend time with their children without really interacting with them or without really being aware of their children because their minds are millions of miles away.
When you’re mindful with your child, it will help you enjoy being fully present with them – not just physically but emotionally. Mindfulness can help you establish a connection with your child and build bridges where there may have been relationship damage caused by hurt feelings.
You’ll be able to define the emotion involved when you interact with your child. You’ll learn to separate whether your emotion is based on what actually is best for them and your family as a whole or if it’s based on what you thought was best.
When you practice being mindful with your kids, you’ll be less anxious, calmer, more thankful, and more accepting of yourself both as a parent and as a person, and your bond with your child will grow.
Meditation Success: 10 Easy Guidelines You Can Use Today
For children growing up in this day and age of external connectivity, it is imperative to provide them the tools for interpersonal communication. Meditation with children is such a tool or technique that can help children unplug and appreciate the present. When they are taught the methods to de-stress and decompress, they have better focus and greater empathy. In a nutshell, they find their emotional health improving manifold.
If you are a parent or a caregiver of young children, here are some easy techniques to help you get started:
Meditation With Children: Mindful Seeing Activities
Young children may find it difficult to sit in one place and relax. They are often hyperactive and thus find it difficult to focus all at once. Thus, mindful breathing right at the beginning may be a tall task to achieve. Instead, you can consider beginning with techniques like mindful seeing and mindful listening.
For mindful seeing, you can keep a pebble, flower a cube, or even a spot on the wall. For the child, it simply serves as a focal point, without any pressure. Simply concentrating on the object for a few minutes can help them relax and be present. It does not require any analysis or deep thoughts and can just help them calm down.
Why is mindful listening important?
After mindful seeing, you can get the child or the group of children to progress to mindful listening. Like mindful seeing, mindful listening is concentrating on a soundscape. This may be anything from phones ringing, traffic sounds, the sound of food being chewed or swallowed, or even their own heartbeats. Meditation with children with such methods as mindful seeing and listening, helps them achieve mindfulness without making too much of an effort.
Mindful breathing for kids
Once your child or children has been practicing mindful seeing and listening, for a while, it is good to get them introduced to the guided meditation with breathing techniques, just like adults. Creating an atmosphere in a room where there are peace and quiet, or outside is a good idea. Take them through the process of meditation and encourage them to share their feelings.
Ask them how did they feel when the session was in progress? Did they make any new discoveries during the process? Any questions that they may have should be encouraged.
A Busy Parent’s Guide To Meditation With Children
Being a parent doubles your reasons for being mindful because living in the moment benefits you and your children. As you increase your own peace of mind, you’re becoming a stronger role model for the rest of your family. Your children will feel more secure and may be less likely to engage in risky behavior.
Tips for mindful discipline and living in the present moment
Discipline is more effective when you focus on training rather than punishment. When you learn to understand your own emotions and triggers, you build your capacity to respond constructively under pressure.
Try these activities to bring more mindfulness into your discipline:
1. Pause first. If you’re tempted to yell or nag, take a breath first. Consider your options. Maybe your child needs a reminder or maybe they need a more detailed explanation of what you define as keeping their room clean.
2. Think positive. Pay attention to what your child does well, in addition to their lapses. Focus on working together to find solutions instead of imposing penalties.
3. Listen closely. Let your child know that you’re willing to hear their side of the story. Validate their feelings even if you disagree with their behavior.
4. Prioritize your relationship. Keep mishaps in perspective. Your relationship with your child is more important than any individual episode. Be willing to make exceptions to your own rules when it serves the greater good.
Tips For Mindful Leisure
Even if your free time is limited, you can use it productively. Use these easy meditation techniques with your children to give your child a head start on developing mindful habits that will enrich their life:
Meditation For Beginners: 20 Practical Tips To Quiet the Mind
1. Manage technology. Set limits on TV and computer time when it’s not related to schoolwork. Turn off all devices at least an hour before bedtime to promote more restful sleep.
2. Develop hobbies. Encourage your child to explore their interests. Hobbies can help them to reduce stress, express their creativity, and pick up new skills.
3. Continue learning. Support your child’s motivation to learn. Volunteer at their school and read bedtime stories at home.
4. Encourage giving. Mindfulness and generosity reinforce each other as you experience the joys of giving. Volunteer as a family at a local animal shelter or food kitchen. Praise your child when they carry groceries for a neighbor or lend their notes to a classmate.
General Tips For Mindful Meditation With Children
Mindfulness is a way of life. Look for opportunities throughout your day to let go of expectations and make conscious choices. Consider these strategies:
1. Eat together. Make family meals a regular habit. Sit down for breakfast each morning or designate at least one night when everyone has dinner at the same time.
2. Create morning rituals. Start the day by sharing a practice that reminds you to stay mindful. Take a walk around the block together. Write in a gratitude journal.
3. Meditate regularly. Seated meditation isn’t the only way to practice mindfulness, but it is one of the most powerful tools. Start out gradually so your children will enjoy it.
4. Play games. Make your mindfulness sessions with your children fun. Draw pictures and listen to songs. Put on a puppet show or wear special costumes.
5. Find an app. If you’re looking for more ideas, browse online. There are so many free meditation and mindfulness for children apps, and some of them are designed especially for parents and children.
Meditation with children is one of the most valuable life gifts you can pass on. Help your family members to awaken to their potential and experience more peace and happiness.
