TL;DR:

• It is important to teach young children how to meditate and practice mindfulness at a very early age. This gives them a head start in becoming a positive, joyful, and compassionate person.
• Here are two mindfulness practices to try with young children: Belly Buddies and Spidey Senses. See below for links.
• We want our children to be physically and mentally healthy and to live in a better world.

The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion.

-Thích Nhất Hạnh

Our precious, smart, and observant children come to this world with huge potential and spongy brains that soak everything in—on the conscious and even more so, on the subconscious level. Until they turn seven years old. The goodness or malice their environment provides them during these first few years stays with them all their lives.

Giving our children a happy, calm, and joyful childhood is essential. Not only to help them have a happier adulthood but to form a happier society.

Giving our children a happy, calm, and joyful childhood is essential. Not only to help them have a happier adulthood but to form a happier society. Click To Tweet

Yes, this is a widely known fact and something that most of us already know. Then comes the question of how we could do that easier, faster, and with the least effort. As parents and educators, we strive to be patient and give our children unconditional love, care, knowledge, and laughter. We also want to see them grow up to be positive, joyful, and compassionate beings. Then, how about helping them have a head start? We could easily do that by teaching them to meditate and practice mindfulness at a very early age, even as early as the third or fourth year of their life.

When practiced by school-age children regularly, mindfulness…

• can reduce the effects of bullying.
• enhances focus in children with ADHD.
• helps with attention problems.
• improves mental health, well-being, and social skills.

Additionally, introducing young kids to mindfulness with tools like pictures, objects, food, simple movements, and music could help them develop an ability to focus attention at a high level.

Mindfulness Practices to Try With Children

Let me give you a couple of examples. For instance, the ‘’Belly Buddies’’ activity is a good one to build awareness of mindfulness, especially for kindergarten and elementary school-age children. In this activity, kids listen to music while being asked to notice the sensations in their bodies. They observe their stomachs rising and falling as they breathe. A simple activity like this helps kids become more attuned with their bodies while focusing on their breath and music. And it could have long-lasting developmental benefits when practiced regularly.

Another activity to practice with kids is “Spidey Senses,” which highlights the super-focused senses of smell, sight, hearing, taste, and touch that Spiderman uses to keep tabs on the world around him. This exercise will encourage them to pause and focus on the present. It will open their awareness to the information their senses bring in. As a classic mindfulness exercise, it also encourages them to be more observant and curious about their five senses.

These are only two of many game-like mindfulness practices that are readily available and easy to implement at school or home.

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Why? Here is why…

Raising children mindful of their environment, the people they are surrounded by, and the beauty of nature make a significant difference in what kind of human beings they become.

We all love our children. And we try to do our best for them to become mentally and physically healthy, happy, generous, and prosperous adults. We also want them to live in a better world.

Then why not introduce our children to meditation and mindfulness? And why not widen their worlds by helping them discover the peace and calm they innately have? If we want a peaceful society tomorrow, isn’t this a great place to start today?

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About Ipek Willaimson

Ipek Williamson is a Change Master, Listener, Insight Coach, Speaker, Author, Meditation Advocate & Teacher. She perfectly blends her 20+ years of corporate experience with diversified areas of expertise as a coach, mentor, and teacher. Ipek works with overwhelmed professionals in creating a sense of peace and flow
in their lives.

Through her coaching style, inspired and empowered by core values, mental fitness, and mind mastery, Ipek helps her clients discover their true selves. In addition to 60+ highly acclaimed meditations she showcases through the Insight Timer App, Ipek leads live meditation sessions through that same application. She also offers group coaching, workshops, courses, and training to individuals, teams, and corporations.