Mindfulness for children: learning to manage emotions

Mindfulness is a meditation practice that has become quite popular in recent years. We even now have techniques to teach the little ones in the home.

Mindfulness for children offers us a whole series of possibilities to improve their attention from an early age., to exercise your brain in empathy, calmness and emotional management. Likewise, introducing our little ones to the world of meditation makes it easier for them to connect much better with themselves. The purpose is for them to be more skillful when it comes to functioning in any environment and especially in everyday life.

We already know that Using mindfulness in our daily lives gives us multiple benefits in our complex adult world. Those dynamics in which we find ourselves involved – both at work and on a personal level – leave a dent in us. They plunge us into states of stress and anxiety where meditation and each of the strategies that Mindfulness provides us are useful, cathartic and effective.

Let’s offer our children a safe space, free of stress, free of anguish. Let’s teach them where their center is thanks to Mindfulness, let’s bring them closer to a space of calm where they can understand their emotions much better.

They can too

Therefore, if they are useful for us, why not bring Mindfulness to children? It should be said that There are already multiple schools around the world that have included this practice in the classrooms. The breathing, meditation and mindfulness exercises that are included daily in the children’s routine facilitate the great achievements that are already going to occur in their development.

However, yes, It is necessary that this type of exercises be established as a habit from very early on.. We all know, for example, how complicated it can be to carry out a relaxation session for the first time in a secondary school classroom. On the other hand, those little ones, who from the age of 3-4 already normally see aspects such as silently attending to certain stimuli or concentrating on their own breathing, can advance in the development of other skills.

Let’s see below how and in what way we can introduce them to this widespread practice that offers such good results.

Mindfulness for children: benefits and current challenges

The benefits of Mindfulness for children are accepted by countries that are so relevant in education such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Holland, the United States or Australia. These nations aim to include it in teaching plans, so that in 2020 it will be in all centers.

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At the moment, it is being progressively introduced into nursery schools: the intention is to take advantage of the age at which the child’s brain is much more receptive to these practices.

If we ask ourselves at what age it is most convenient to start Mindfulness, the answer has a small nuance that needs to be emphasized. 3 years old is undoubtedly one of the most suitable stages to do it., but let’s not forget that if we want to achieve results we have to be constant until the novelty becomes habit, then we will just have to continue with inertia. Let’s dig a little deeper.

Compassion and self-pity

As highlighted by the psychologist who is an expert in mindfulness for children Mariló Gascón (2017)through mindfulness the little ones will learn to develop compassion and self-pity. Gascón describes these concepts as follows:

Compassion. Consists in empathize with others, know how they feel, what they need. It is about moving from an “I mode” to a “we mode”:Self-pity. Is about be kind to yourself. A path of discovery that consists of how I can help myself, what I need.

Kristin Neffpsychologist at the University of Textas and specialist in the impact of self-compassion on health, defines these concepts as follows:

Compassion. It involves recognizing and seeing clearly the suffering of others, while at the same time feeling kindness towards those who suffer and, in this way, the desire to help arises.Self-pity. It involves the same process as compassion but towards oneself. That is, becoming aware of our own suffering, accepting it and connecting with the best way to help ourselves.

I am interested in the world

Mindfulness for children’s main objective is to awaken their curiosity, your attention. Ensure that your capacity for wonder never expires, as well as your interest in connecting with the outside from a more relaxed, receptive and confident interior.

I am more attentive to what surrounds me

In addition, This ability to focus attention much better on certain stimuli will enhance your concentration. Something undoubtedly essential in this world so overloaded with stimuli and stimulants, where the little ones lack reasonable and stable filters with which to manage such a sensory and perceptual avalanche.

I understand, control and channel my negative emotions

On the other hand, as we pointed out before, Mindfulness goes beyond a simple compendium of exercises to become almost a lifestyle in us. Their techniques, philosophy, and approach often bring about changes in us big enough to provide us with new perspectives.

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Children, for their part, will be able to manage their negative emotions much better from an early age, understanding the origin of their anger or sadness to channel it appropriately.

Something like that It will maximally improve your social skills, your way of relating, for example, avoiding situations of violence and aggression. in the classroom.

“Mindfulness is a tool to help our children acquire more humanity. To not only become workers and consumers, but to cultivate from a very early age the capacities for presence in the world and to become aware of how beautiful and fragile it is. “The child is the father of the man,” wrote the English poet Wordsworth. Personally, I am convinced (all and at the moment I have no evidence or studies to tell you!) that mindfulness can help our children become better adults.”
-Christophe André, psychiatrist at the Sainte-Anne Hospital in Paris-

Mindfulness for children: useful and fun strategies to get them started

Something important that we must clarify first is that Mindfulness for children is not limited exclusively to teaching them how to meditate, how to relax or how to breathe. It goes much further.

We cannot forget that Mindfulness is also related to food, work, the way we relate, even playing sports…

Let’s therefore see what strategies we can develop to ensure that this philosophy is integrated into your way of life. The requirements are two: that it be simple and fun. These would be some of the strategies that we could use with children between 3 and 6 years old.

I am Superman or Wonder Woman

We will begin by telling the children that they should adopt a “power” posture, as if they were superheroes: standing, with their back straight, arms on their hips and most importantly, with their eyes closed.They are going to become superheroes capable of developing their senses to the maximumIn strict silence they will listen to every sound that surrounds them for 5 minutes. It is good that they are attentive and relaxed to open their radars to any sound, no matter how small…

I learn to breathe with my stuffed animal

There is nothing better than using your stuffed animal to learn to breathe following the following guidelines:

Bedtime is almost always a great time to teach them relaxed breathing.The child should put his stuffed animal or doll on his abdomen.Now, you must breathe in through your nose for a count of 4, but watching how your abdomen rises and with it, your stuffed animal. We hold that air for 3 seconds and then, we will exhale through your mouth watching how the stuffed animal sinks downwards.

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The weather and my emotions

“Calm and attentive like a frog” It is a sensational book by Eline Snel. In it he offers interesting strategies to parents to introduce children to meditation..

Thus, an interesting proposal that the author proposes to teach them to recognize their emotions is to relate certain states, such as sadness, anger or joy, with the weather.

To do this, we will encourage them to play the meteorologist game. They have to close their eyes and ask themselves “What is the weather like inside me? If I’m sunny it’s because I’m fine, if I’m a downpour it’s because I’m sad, if I’m a storm with lightning it’s because I’m angry.”

The walk of “realizing…”

Mindfulness for children is not limited to getting them to sit in the lotus position, meditating. Our little ones are active and reactive beings, people eager for experiences, insatiably curious, in need of contact, games, and continuous interaction. Therefore, We must adapt Mindfulness to your daily needs and your pace of life.

A very effective exercise that we can do daily with them when, for example, we take them to or from school, walk hand in hand with them or go shopping, is to play the game of “I notice that…, I see that…, I discover that…”

It’s just about encourage them to be receptive to everything that surrounds them and everything that happens, no matter how small, no matter how insignificant it may seem.. “I realize that in the distance I can hear someone laughing,” “I realize that the man who passed by seems sad,” “I realize that in the distance I can hear a baby bird calling.” to his mother from the nest”, “I realize that a cloud has hidden the sun…”

To conclude, we are clear that there are many, many more Mindfulness exercises that we can teach our children.

Let’s find those that best suit your age and your way of being.. Likewise, let us not forget to be the best example for them, a reference of calm, balance and everlasting affection.