Mindfulness is about becoming fully aware of what’s happening in the present moment. And in today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to miss what’s going on around you. Many people go through the motions of their daily routines without being fully aware of what’s happening around them. Whether they’re distracted with something that happened yesterday, or they’re worried about something that might happen tomorrow, they’re missing out on what’s happening right now. Just like adults, kids are easily distracted and quite often, they’re unaware of their circumstances. That fact can lead to challenges like difficulties managing their emotions or trouble controlling their behavior. That’s why some schools are adopting mindfulness programs. Schools that teach mindfulness skills report fewer discipline problems and better engagement from students. There are many ways to teach children to become more mindful. You can adapt these exercises to fit the needs of preschoolers to teens. Here are 20 simple but effective ways to teach your child mindfulness skills: You can bring more awareness to their movements by pretending you’re a radio announcer. Say things like, “You’re picking your right leg up slowly and carefully putting it back down.” There are many other games you can invent to encourage your child to move slowly and carefully. For example, toss a balloon in the air and tell them the balloon is a fragile egg and they have to carefully keep it in the air without breaking it. The first couple of times they do this exercise, they may be vague, like, “I had recess and then we had math class.” Don’t correct them or dig for more details. Instead, remind them you’ll do it again tomorrow. With practice, there’s a good chance they will start walking through their day with more detail. They might start saying things like, “I felt really hot when I was running across the playground. So I sat down on the bench for a minute to catch my breath.” Invite them to close their eyes and concentrate on what they smell. Spend a few minutes just paying attention to the aroma. Then ask them a few simple questions like, “What do you think of that smell?” Teach them to return to observing their breath when their mind wanders. The exercise shouldn’t change their breathing. Instead, it should be about helping them become more aware of their breaths and how their body and lungs feel when they’re mindful. Blindfold your child and give them a small bite of a specific food, like a banana or a strawberry. Tell them to move the food around in their mouth for a minute and see if they can tell you what it is. Encourage them to look at the piece of food for about a minute. Then, have them put it in their mouth but tell them not to chew it right away. Instead, instruct them to pay attention to how it tastes and how it feels in their mouth. They may experience textures or tastes they’ve never noticed before. Then, tell them to draw the object. Encourage them to take their time and include some details. Just make sure they know it’s not an art contest. Tell your child to lie down. Then, tell them to tighten and then relax specific muscle groups one at a time—starting with their feet and then their calves. Keep going until you get up to their head. There are many different scripts you can use, depending on the age of your child. There are also online tutorials or audio programs that can help walk your child through the steps. Tell your child to listen to the bell. Then, tell them to close their eyes and see if they can hear it better when their eyes are closed. You also can tell them to sit quietly and count how many times you ring the bell. Over the course of several minutes ring the bell. Allow for variable amounts of silence in between rings. Sign your child up for a yoga class or look for kid-friendly yoga videos to practice at home. You can practice yoga together as well and incorporate it into your daily routine. Like other mindfulness practices, yoga will teach your child coping skills. And it’s important to remember that mindfulness should be an ongoing practice. Take time every day to practice mindfulness skills with your child. When you make it a priority in your life, your child will see that it’s important to be in tune with the present. If you know the flower’s names, you can follow up by trying to identify them while blindfolded or with closed eyes. Tell your child that they should focus on what the different parts of their body are feeling and doing, while letting any other thoughts that enter their minds go. Walking meditation can be easier because it gives kids something to focus on, rather than trying to get them to think about nothing at all. There are so many opportunities to focus on the five senses while gardening. While you work together to grow and prepare food, ask your child to describe what they see, smell, feel, and when appropriate, taste. When they hear their name, your child’s job is to approach you from across the room, making as little noise as possible.
