The Best Way To Introduce Mindfulness To School Kids
Calling all Parents, Teachers and Guardians — Let The Children Breeeeaaaaaath
Do you remember what it was like being a child?
I remember wanting to grow up and become an adult. Only to grow up, become an adult and realize all that time spent trying to become an adult took away from being a child in my childhood.
I hear my 8-year-old when he says, ‘I am stuck being a kid because I have to follow all these parental rules.’ I don’t think he hears me when I say, ‘soon it will all be over and you will adult as much as your heart can take.’
Our world has changed (and continues to change) over the past couple of years. As a child, I couldn’t ever think of telling my parents that I was tired of their parental rules. I didn’t even know I had the choice of being tired. Any rebellion against rules started and ended in my mind. Speaking of mind, as a child, I often felt out of control when it came to how my mind behaved. Which is why I taught my children about their minds and brains early.
In this fast-paced, digitally-driven world, the mind is constantly stimulated and can sometimes feel overwhelmed just by existing in this world. As adult humans, we have so many things to contend with. Add on top of that, the challenging role of raising children. The parent is mentally tired as is the child but not a lot of people see the child.
Children's stress and anxiety are rising.
Introducing Mindfulness For Kids
Children are often filled with various demands and distractions. They face academic pressures, extracurricular activities, and the constant pull of digital devices. I imagine the mind of a child that does not know how to self-regulate.
Do you know that you can teach children to manage and allow their emotions to rise and fall? My son told me the other day about the conversation he had with his mind when he was calming down from a big emotion. When I first started talking to my kids about the mind, breath and the space between thoughts, I imagined that one day it would all come together.
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and aware in the moment.
Mindfulness offers a way for children to manage stress, improve focus, and enhance their emotional well-being. But how can we, as parents, teachers, and guardians, easily introduce mindfulness to children, especially school kids?
Why is mindfulness important to school kids?
Children have their own worlds where many unanswered questions reside. They also have their unique way of processing the happenings around them as they navigate big and small emotions. Sometimes kids act out or fail in school because of something happening in their home/personal lives. Many parents and guardians do not know how to self-regulate so they cannot teach or mirror what that means to their child/ward.
The demands on children today are immense. From the pressures of academics to social interactions and extracurricular activities, they often find themselves overwhelmed. Mindfulness provides them with essential tools to navigate these challenges.
Mindfulness has several benefits for school kids, including reduced stress and anxiety, improved concentration, enhanced emotional regulation, and increased empathy. It’s a powerful practice that equips children with the skills they need to thrive both academically and emotionally — in school and at home.
The Best Way To Introduce Mindfulness To School Kids
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and aware in the moment. What this looks like in practice -
Imagine eating an apple and suddenly becoming aware of the parts of your tongue that tingle as you taste the apple’s juice. Now feel the crunch in between your teeth. At what point do you swallow?
The next time you are eating an apple (or anything really) become aware of what your mouth is doing, how you are chewing or swallowing or even what parts of your tongue are tasting. This action of becoming aware of the process of eating is mindfulness. You are not just chewing without considering what you are doing. You are feeling, sensing, listening… You are mindful of the process of eating.
Now do this while walking.
Become aware of how your feet feel on the ground. How do you balance your weight as you move from one foot to the other? How about your arms? What are they doing? Are you shrugging your shoulders? Can you let them relax down away from your ears? Becoming aware in this way is mindfulness.
Then there is the breath.
Sometimes our minds make up stories and the mind starts to act as if the story is true. Sometimes the mind jumps from thought to thought to thought and you find your physiology at its mercy. It doesn’t have to be this way. With the breath, you can self-regulate and find calm within your own body-mind.
Let’s say you just heard some bad news and your heart rate spikes. You can, in that moment, take slow long breaths and calm your body-mind. With consistent practice, you can self-regulate and bring your body-mind into a calm state no matter what’s happening around you.
It is this last one, breathing, that I suggest for school kids. Everybody breaths and getting children aware of this natural process is teaching them mindfulness. When a child is feeling overwhelmed with big emotions, they can cry and they can also breathe. When done over time, children learn to self-regulate, focus better in class and are less overwhelmed by daily stimulation.
Schools can simply incorporate this into their normal daily activity. Either before each new class or at the assembly. When you ask kids to breathe and listen to their breaths even for 1 minute only, you create an opportunity for that child to learn mindfulness.
I read about a math teacher who gets her students to do a couple of mindful breaths before class each day. She reports that the children focus more and are calmer which helps their learning.
Why Parents Should Get Involved
Parents play an important role in introducing mindfulness to their children. By practicing mindfulness at home, parents can reinforce the mindfulness lessons learned at school. It’s a holistic approach that creates a supportive environment for children to thrive.
To get started with mindfulness at home, parents can lead by example. When children observe their parents practicing mindfulness, they are more likely to engage in the activities themselves. Simple practices like mindful breathing or other mindfulness exercises can be incorporated into daily routines, such as before bedtime or during family meals.
Mindfulness For Kids In The Classroom
Eventually, we should consider integrating mindfulness into the school’s curriculum, as mindfulness enhances students’ learning experiences. Sounds like a win-win to me.
Teachers can lead by example here by practicing mindfulness and incorporating short mindfulness exercises into the classroom routine. These exercises can serve as valuable breaks during the day, helping students reset and refocus. Additionally, teachers can use mindfulness as a tool to address issues like classroom behaviour and emotional regulation.
Benefits Of Mindfulness for School Kids
The benefits of mindfulness are numerous and far-reaching. Practiced consistently, school kids can experience:
- Improved focus and concentration, leading to better academic performance.
- Reduced stress and anxiety, resulting in a more relaxed and positive learning environment.
- Enhanced emotional regulation, allowing children to navigate their emotions more effectively.
- Increased empathy and kindness, fostering better relationships with peers.
Do It For The Children
While this post is addressed to parents, guardians and teachers, it can apply to anyone who encounters children in any capacity. Children are always learning and if we become aware of opportunities to add to their knowledge bank, may we be sufficiently equipped to offer wisdom.
Mindful breathing is something that can be taught to anyone in the shortest possible time. Try it. I mean try some mindfulness practices and the next time you hang out with a kid, teach him/her. Do it for the children. Or like we say where I’m from — ‘let the children breatthhheeeee.’
Conclusion
Mindfulness tools provide an accessible and effective way to introduce mindfulness to school kids. By involving parents, teachers, and guardians on this journey, we can create a nurturing environment where children can thrive emotionally and academically. So, let’s heed the call and allow our children to breathe, learn, grow and become mindful.
In your service,
Ese Walter
