Are your children’s lives busy and overscheduled? Do you wonder how you can slow them down?
According to Leslie Hundt, Program Coordinator for Ebenezer Child Care Centers, with locations in Downtown Milwaukee, Oak Creek, and West Allis/Wauwatosa, “Mindfulness is good for our children and for us. Research indicates that mindfulness can help children improve their abilities to pay attention, calm down when they are upset, and make better decisions.” So, where do we start? How can we teach mindfulness to children?
Before you begin mindfulness exercises, be sure to turn off any distractions such as television, videos, screens, and cell phones. Here are some ways to teach children mindfulness from https://mrsmindfullness.com.
Mindful Breathing
Ask children to sit comfortably and close their eyes. Draw their attention to breathing, telling them to feel the sensation of breath coming into their nose and out of their mouth. Do they notice the breath coming into and out of their bodies? To help them stay focused, have them put their hands on their stomachs to feel the rise and fall of each breath. Do this for about five sets of inhaling and exhaling. Guide their attention to any thoughts and feelings that may be present. Ask them to let those thoughts and feelings go as they return their focus to their breathing. Repeat.
Mindfulness Sound Game
Have children begin by focusing on their breathing, as described above. After five breathing cycles, tell them they are going to hear a sound, and that they should focus on this sound as it gets softer and softer. Tell them to raise their hand when they no longer hear the sound. For the sound you can use a soft bell, Tibetan meditation chimes, a “singing” bowl, a rain stick, or anything that will resonate and gradually stop. Even using a soft song that you turn down and eventually turn off will work. Return to five breathing cycles and repeat this exercise as often as your children are able or would like to.
Mindful Eating Game
Next time you are sharing a meal or snack with children, tell them you are going to make it a mindfulness game. Start off with the breathing cycles. Ask children to be mindful of their food, how it smells and how it looks. Ask them to take a bite of the food and chew slowly. If using a utensil, ask them to put it down until they finish chewing and swallowing. Have them try to chew slowly, for 20 – 30 seconds, asking them how the food tastes and feels in their mouths. Repeat with another bite.
Walking Mindfully
Go for a short walk with your children to teach them to be mindful while in motion. Have them start with focused breathing and then ask them to notice how the ground feels under their feet, as they walk. What does their body feel like when in motion? How does their clothing feel against their skin, or the wind feel against their hair? Guide them to feel these sensations but not label or think about them. Return to their breathing cycles as needed to keep them in focus.
Mindful Play
Put out any activity your children like such as playdough, Legos, building blocks, or other manipulative activities. Have them begin with their breathing cycles. Guide them to be fully present in the moment. Have them focus on their senses – what do they see, hear, feel, and smell while they are working with the materials. End the session with the breathing cycles.
Helping children slow down and be present in the world around them teaches them to manage stress. Teaching children mindfulness will help them better handle difficult situations as they grow older.
Ebenezer Child Care Centers is a not-for-profit, locally based agency committed to providing early childhood programs from the heart. The agency prides itself on being different from other child care providers in that it offers a home-like atmosphere; individualized, nurturing care; and a structured curriculum that is virtues-based for every child’s developmental stage.
Every Ebenezer Child Care Center focuses on all aspects of a child’s development: cognitive, physical, emotional, and social. In addition to providing quality care, the agency also offers other educational programming all aimed at helping parents. The agency has locations in Downtown Milwaukee, Oak Creek, and West Allis/Wauwatosa. The agency’s main office is located at 1138 S. 108th Street, West Allis.
