Exploring Mindfulness with Your Child

Teaching mindfulness to your child is a good test of their patience and taking time to be themselves, understand the world around them and relieve stress. A lot of kids feel a lot of anxiety when they’re going to school each week, with piles of studies on them - teaching them mindfulness can be the key to keeping them on track.

In this guide from a top private sixth form in Surrey, we take a look at how you can explore mindfulness techniques with your child at home.

When your child feels overwhelmed, help them describe their surroundings

A good way of calming yourself down is by stopping for a moment and talking in the present tense and describing what’s happening around them. Name your process, admit you feel stressed and remind yourself that a few deep breaths can really help with calming yourself down. It’s a good habit for your child to get into; speak to them whenever they get stressed and walk them through this process.

Count your breaths

Sit down with your child and hold onto something, like a cushion (or for your child a small cuddly toy they like). Take long and deep breaths that can be easily regulated and see how many your child can count within a few minutes. Even just 5 minutes out of your day to control your breathing is better than nothing, and your child gets used to being aware of their breath and how it can affect their day.

Model mindfulness in your own life

If your child sees you taking a moment to yourself, or even meditating in the living room, your child might jump in and give it a go. Aim to not force them to get involved, but see if they can follow what you do and if it makes a difference. The more your lives revolve around mindfulness, the bigger the likelihood your child will be motivated to try it out for themselves, and that can bring a lot more positivity into the home and reflect well on their productivity.