Exploring mindfulness with your child is a great way to equip them with the skills needed to deal with difficult emotions later on in life. It can help to create clarity and focus when facing anxiety and even improve poor sleeping habits.
We have joined a London prep school to share how you can explore mindfulness with your child.
Mindful Walking
Going for a walk and paying special appreciation to all of the five senses can help your child bring themselves back to the present when feeling distressed. Often when feeling anxious, the brain can’t help but worry about events far ahead in the future. By being mindful of their surroundings, your child can regain their focus.
Describing Emotions
The first step in dealing with difficult emotions involves identifying them. Sit in a circle with your children and get them to describe how different emotions feel. This can be using colours that they think represent an emotion or weather conditions.
Body Scanning
A body scan exercise can be particularly useful if your child is having trouble getting to sleep. It involves paying close attention to the breath, noticing the rise and fall of the chest. It’s important that while focusing on the breath, it is not regulated or controlled and flows naturally. Step by step, instruct your child to imagine a light moving past certain areas of their body and concentrate on how that feels. This should start at the head and end at the feet. There are many channels on YouTube that have soothing videos that your child can follow.
Mindful Eating
Just as with mindful walking, your child can use food to bring their focus back to the present. This involves savouring every bite by taking time to notice what it smells like, feels like and tastes like.