How to Teach Your Kids Mindfulness
Develop your own “practice.” Before you can help your children develop a mindfulness practice, you need to develop a practice of your own., Set a time for family practice., Encourage your children to participate with you., Explain the importance of...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Develop your own “practice.” Before you can help your children develop a mindfulness practice
Establish a regular meditation practice and incorporate mindful activities into your daily life.
During your day, perform breathing exercises and try to develop your concentration.If you have a partner, consider asking them to join you in developing a mindfulness practice.
It will likely take some time to establish your own practice.
Be patient with yourself while you develop it. -
Step 2: you need to develop a practice of your own.
Once you have developed a practice, you will want to set aside specific times to educate your children.
Depending on you and your children’s schedules, you should find a time when you are all home and in a good mental space to learn.
After you establish a time to practice, make sure that you stick with it in order to build a routine.Consider establishing a practice on the weekends or on week nights when you are not very busy.
Maintaining a consistent routine will be essential to developing your children’s practice. , Initially, you will spend a fair amount of your time demonstrating how to do things like meditation and breath awareness.
However, you should quickly begin to encourage your children to participate in the practice.
Use simple exercises like listening to a bell or using a breathing buddy to get your children involved in the practice.Remember that your children will probably not pick up on the practice right away.
It will take time before they begin noticing things. , Because your children will likely be curious about why you are incorporating these new practices, you should explain to them the importance of mindfulness.
Sit down with your children, possibly during your family practice, and discuss with them the benefits of being mindful.
Explain to them that you are helping them develop a means of calming themselves and managing their anxiety.This method may work better with older children who are better able to comprehend and understand the importance of anxiety management.
For younger children, it may be best to instruct them on the exercises and then address any questions that arise during practice.
Put your explanation into words that your kids can understand.
Try saying something like, "This is sort of like a 'time-in' instead of a timeout.
You can use this tool to make yourself happier, so you won't have to go into as many timeouts."
The best way for your kids to develop a strong mindfulness practice is by incorporating daily exercises.
The more often you make mindfulness a part of the routine, the quicker it will become a part of your family’s culture.
Over time, you will find your children engaging in mindfulness practices without being prompted. -
Step 3: Set a time for family practice.
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Step 4: Encourage your children to participate with you.
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Step 5: Explain the importance of mindfulness.
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Step 6: Try to practice every day.
Detailed Guide
Establish a regular meditation practice and incorporate mindful activities into your daily life.
During your day, perform breathing exercises and try to develop your concentration.If you have a partner, consider asking them to join you in developing a mindfulness practice.
It will likely take some time to establish your own practice.
Be patient with yourself while you develop it.
Once you have developed a practice, you will want to set aside specific times to educate your children.
Depending on you and your children’s schedules, you should find a time when you are all home and in a good mental space to learn.
After you establish a time to practice, make sure that you stick with it in order to build a routine.Consider establishing a practice on the weekends or on week nights when you are not very busy.
Maintaining a consistent routine will be essential to developing your children’s practice. , Initially, you will spend a fair amount of your time demonstrating how to do things like meditation and breath awareness.
However, you should quickly begin to encourage your children to participate in the practice.
Use simple exercises like listening to a bell or using a breathing buddy to get your children involved in the practice.Remember that your children will probably not pick up on the practice right away.
It will take time before they begin noticing things. , Because your children will likely be curious about why you are incorporating these new practices, you should explain to them the importance of mindfulness.
Sit down with your children, possibly during your family practice, and discuss with them the benefits of being mindful.
Explain to them that you are helping them develop a means of calming themselves and managing their anxiety.This method may work better with older children who are better able to comprehend and understand the importance of anxiety management.
For younger children, it may be best to instruct them on the exercises and then address any questions that arise during practice.
Put your explanation into words that your kids can understand.
Try saying something like, "This is sort of like a 'time-in' instead of a timeout.
You can use this tool to make yourself happier, so you won't have to go into as many timeouts."
The best way for your kids to develop a strong mindfulness practice is by incorporating daily exercises.
The more often you make mindfulness a part of the routine, the quicker it will become a part of your family’s culture.
Over time, you will find your children engaging in mindfulness practices without being prompted.
About the Author
Melissa Foster
Brings years of experience writing about pet care and related subjects.
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