Mindfulness is a great technique to practice with your children that can give them a greater perspective, a break from hard work or having them cope with difficult days. It also gives your child the chance to learn about how to be resilient by giving them the right coping mechanism skills.
This guide from this Independent School in Essex will provide you with the best ways to encourage mindfulness in the home.
Breathing exercises
One of the first things children could learn is practicing breathing exercises for when they get stressed or show signs of anxiety. They’ll begin to notice where their diaphragm is and how it can work in slow and heavy breathing that will bring children back down to a much calmer state.
Practice long and deep breaths for around 5 minutes. After you have completed this exercise, ask how your child is feeling. Do they understand how deep breathing has worked? It’s a chance to give some thoughts and how it can hopefully help them again.
Bedtime routine
A great time to practice mindfulness is just before your child goes to sleep. They can use this time to meditate or close their eyes for 1 minute doing continuous deep breathing. You should also ask them to think about different parts of their body when doing this – they may be able to tell you how each part of the body feels to them.
Practice mindfulness daily
Whether it’s 5 minutes or 20 minutes it’s a good habit to get into with your child that can be conducted wherever possible in your home. It can also be as simple as asking your child about their day, what they learn and what observations they can make from that new information.
Teaching your child to be mindful is a great way of promoting positivity and welcoming thoughts into your home. Why not try it today?
*This is a collaborative post.
