Being aware of your thoughts and feelings, knowing when to take a deep breath, handling anxiety as best you can and knowing when to take a break are all ways a person has successfully explored mindfulness. It’s a great thing to have in your back pocket and has been proven to improve the mental health of many people that practice it daily.
To help your child with their understanding of mindfulness, and to begin to practice it at home, here are some ways to explore it from this independent boarding school.
Try out little bursts of meditation
For young children, it may be quite difficult to keep them still for extended periods of time. This is when you should try out meditation in short bursts. While they get used to the process of remaining silent, closing their eyes and keeping still, they will eventually build their tolerance to meditate for longer.
Remind them of the importance of eating healthy
Mindfulness can go well beyond the process of meditating and learning to be thankful. It can actually come into play in a lot of areas in a child’s life, such as eating. If a child tends to be quite a fussy eater, for instance, practising how to eat in a mindful way – slowly and with thought – will give them more awareness of their actions. They also get to take a moment to take a breath and learn about the different feelings food brings to them, making them more humble about what they have.
Take your child for long walks in the outdoors
Being mindful and aware of the world we live in is also a great part of developing mindfulness within us. Show your child how they can learn to appreciate all that they have around them and what they can do to make the world a better place. They may ask about the wildlife, nature around them, weather changes and other very open questions that allow them to expand their horizons.
Keep the conversation going
Be there for your child, who is going to be asking a myriad of questions in their lifetime. Be inclined to learn with them, especially when they ask questions where you’re not entirely sure of the answer yourself. Make them feel welcome when they pique their curiosity, which in turn can make them feel more mindful about their actions and decisions. This also makes for a happier, more confident child.
*This is a collaborative post