Exploring Mindfulness with Your Child

Mindfulness is an interesting meditation strategy that is used to ease emotional stress. Practising mindfulness with your child is a great way to help them feel calm because it encourages them to reconnect with the present moment, rather than dwelling on something that has happened in the past or worrying about something that may or may not happen in the future. It can even be quite fun! Here are some tips from nursery in Wirral to get you started….

In order to help your child become more mindful and pay attention to the present moment, ask them to consider their senses. What can they see, hear, feel, touch, or taste? You can practise this anywhere, anytime. You should also encourage them to notice and name their thoughts and feelings so that they learn to recognise their physical and emotional responses to things, both positive and negative. For instance, if they are nervous about a test at school, they might have sweaty palms or nausea. The more awareness they have of their own bodies and minds, the easier it will be for them to choose an appropriate way to respond. 

Another popular mindfulness technique is the 3-breath hug. When you hug your child, both of you should take three, deliberate and synchronised deep breaths together. Feel the tension disappear as you relax your muscles. Mindfulness is all about slowly down and recognising what’s going on in any given moment, rather than letting experiences flash by without a second’s thought. 

Mindful walks are also great. Take a stroll through the woods and pay attention to your surroundings, noticing the feel of the wind against your face and the crunching sound of the twigs beneath your feet. The more you practise these types of activities with your child, the more naturally it will come to both of you and you will start to focus on the here and now rather than fretting about the past or future. As a result, you should, in theory, be able to lead a more relaxed, happier life.