Teaching Your Kids Mindfulness

**Collaborative post**

Mindfulness is all about paying more attention to the present moment; what’s going on around us, as well as our thoughts and feelings. Practising mindfulness can help us feel more fulfilled and allows us to enjoy life to a greater degree. Children naturally tend to be more mindful than adults and it’s always wise for parents to let their youngster explore things at their own pace. However, there are also lots of other ways that parents can help their kids become more mindful. With that said, a junior school in Leicestershire have put together the following advice to help parents teach mindfulness to their children. 

You can practise mindfulness with absolutely everything you do, like eating a snack or hugging a loved one. The idea is to take recognise of the wonders of life rather than letting moments flash by unnoticed. However, try and remember that you can’t force mindfulness, so be sure to give up if it’s not coming naturally; you can always try again with another activity at a later date. What’s more, you should keep as simple as possible. Mindfulness is a big word for little people, so it’s better to use words like “thoughts” and “feelings” when you’re describing what it means.

[AdSense-B]

Help your child acknowledge their thoughts and their physical and emotional sensations. For example, if they are feeling anxious about a test at school, ask them if they notice any changes in their body, such as increased heart rate or sweaty palms. If you are enjoying some quality time together at the park, talk about how much fun you are having together and ask questions about the aspects of the experience that your child likes the most. If you help them to recognise their natural responses to different situations, they will learn how to repeat or avoid feeling that way again in the future.

Make sure your child is getting plenty of physical exercise, even if it’s a walk with the dog after school. Whilst out and about, get them to acknowledge aspects of their surroundings, like the fresh air and nature. Not only is this type of activity great for their physical health, but it also helps show them all of the magnificent things that their body is capable of. Talk about this with them so that they learn to appreciate their bodies.

[AdSense-A]