The world can be a stressful place. There is chaos all around. Constant changes are happening all around and we are struggling to figure out how to deal with them. Let me let you in on a little secret, so are our kids. They can sense all these changes, the contention, and confusion. Their little bodies and minds are trying to make sense of it all. The good news is, we can give them more tools to help them deal with these feelings. One of those tools is teaching your kids meditation and breathing. Helping them learn how to calm their minds and bodies, relax into their emotions, and try to process them in healthy ways.
What Kids Meditation Techniques Should You Teach Them?
There are so many resources to help you know what to teach them. You can find many great apps and articles all telling you how to do it. However teaching kids meditation can just be as simple as telling your kids about focusing their mind on something, such as gratitude, the beach, kindness, and then taking big breaths in and out. Put a timer on your phone, start with one minute and work your way up. Or if your kid doesn’t have the attention span for that, let them be the timer, and tell you when they’re done.
If you want to get a little fancy with it you can find a Youtube channel that is geared towards kids’ meditation. Buy a mediation bowl as your kids will love getting to make the beautiful peaceful sounds as you start your kid’s meditation and breathing practices.
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Teaching Kids Breathing and Meditation Practices From Birth
Looking down at your wrinkly bundle of joy, you might think there’s no way they can understand when you teach them about breathing and meditation, and you’re completely right. They won’t understand it. But they will be able to sense the calmness within you as you start to guide them through mediation and breathing. The focus is not as much on them inhaling and exhaling slowly, or trying to clear their mind.
The focus is on centering yourself and teaching yourself these things. When you are working on these habits in your life your baby will sense your peacefulness and calm. Even if it’s just for those few minutes a day you spend doing meditation and breathing exercises with them. It’s never too early to start.
If your kids are six, eight, or ten years old and you’ve never meditated with them, no problem! It’s never too late to start. The same guidelines apply. Try to work it into their routines. Help them understand the purpose of it and how it can help them in their daily life. Find age-appropriate things to help them such as apps, Youtube channels, or just having you nearby to guide them.
Making Kids Meditation and Breathing Practices Part of Your Daily Routine
You are designing mediation and breathing to be part of your child’s daily routine so that as they grow older and start to understand it better, it will be something that they look forward to that will help them every day. Start with picking a time of day that you would like to feel calmer, a time you could use some help taking a minute to assess how you’re thinking and feeling. Write it on the calendar if you have to, or put a reminder on your phone. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, just try to make it happen every day so that it becomes a habit.
Some good ideas for times to do it would be in the morning after breakfast, before naps, or before bed. A time of day when it’s important for you and your kids to calm your minds and bodies. It will not be picture perfect every time your kid’s meditation routine happens, but perfection is not the goal. The goal is that little by little they are learning these practices and know that every day they will have that time to slow down and unwind.
Teaching Your Kids Meditation and Breathing Practices When They’re Having Big Feelings
It’s so important to have kids’ meditation and breathing be a routine part of your everyday routine, but also important to recognize that it can be an incredibly useful tool to use throughout your day. If your kids have the foundation of knowing how to meditate and do deep breathing when they have big emotions throughout the day they can use this skill to help them release these emotions in a healthy way.
When your kids are about to throw a fit in the middle of Target, you can ask them if they want to take some big breaths with you to try to give them some time to think about the problem. When they’re at home and having a hard time sharing with their siblings you can ask them if they’d like to have a quick meditation with you where you guys can think about the benefits of sharing. Use your imagination, there are so many ways that using kids meditation and breathing exercises can help you and your kids work through emotions and feel better throughout the day.
READ MORE: Why Behavioral Health In Children Is Important
Be Proactive When It Comes To Your Childs Mental Health
You don’t have to wait for your kids to tell you they’re struggling and then try to help them. Start today to teach effective tools such as kids’ meditation and breathing skills. This will help them learn how to better approach and deal with big emotions when they feel them. Don’t be afraid to start small, don’t make it into a big thing either of you can’t handle it. The whole point is to add calm not stress. Implement this into your routine at a time where it will help you and your child feel calmer and ready to relax.
Don’t be afraid to pull from this useful tool throughout your day whenever you or your kids need a minute to calm down. Kids’ meditation and breathing is a simple way you can show your children that you care about them and want to help them succeed in an ever-changing world.
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