Considering Mindfulness in Children

In my wanderings I came across this New York Times article about mindfulness and kids from last summer. The article talks about using mindfulness techniques in school, but as we head fast into the holidays, I wonder if this is something we can apply in our homes.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is simply being in the present moment. Students in California (what – not Arkansas?) are learning to use objects or sounds of focus (like the new school bell) to slow down and concentrate on breathing. Coaches are teaching kids in 15 minute sessions how to have “gentle breaths and still bodies.” Some are calling the practice of mindfulness “the new ABC’s — learning and leading a balanced life.”

How Can Mindfulness Help Kids?

The funny thing to me is that we’ve heard ‘pay attention’ our whole lives, but what does that truly mean? Mindfulness teaches how. While the practice is derived from Buddhist teachings, the mindfulness taught to kids in school is totally secular , using language like “being present” and “cultivating compassion” and avoiding any spiritual connotations.

A doctor at at Stanford, said the initial findings showed increased control of attention and less negative internal chatter. Another study found that mindfulness helped improve mood disorders, depression, and self-harming behaviors like eating disorders.

Our Kids Need to Be Mindful

The stress kids are dealing with today are so much greater than ten or twenty years ago. They live with a constant barrage of stimuli, including scrolling feeds on TV, video games, and text messages. One teacher quoted in the Times article notes that our kids are so overstimulated that some have difficulty even closing their eyes.

What can we do over the holidays to help our kids slow down and relax? I’d love to know your ideas. (I suspect the first step is for us parents to slow down first!) And are some kids better candidates for this than others?

For more information, see the Association for Mindfulness in Education