The Time is NOW: How to Introduce Mindfulness to Kids in a Fun and Relatable Way.
Mindfulness has been a hot topic over the last decade. Many parents have heard of the concept but have not really put much thought beyond this. Given recent world events and increasing social & health concerns, the need to put mindfulness to practice seems even more important. Incorporating bite-sized mindful practices into the daily lives of our kids requires little effort and is easy to do! More importantly, scientific studies have proven mindful based practices have benefit to overall mental wellbeing.
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
- As my daughter explains it, "Mindfulness is about being right here, right NOW in the present moment. It helps you not worry what is going to happen in the future or what has already happened in the past". Understanding this concept as a young child has helped her learn to better cope with difficult emotions and situations. Most importantly, with life stressors likely to only increase as she gets older, learning this mindful coping skill can hopefully help her throughout all stages of life.
- 10 REASONS TO TEACH KIDS MINDFULNESS:
- With stress, anxiety & health concerns on the rise, it's critical to provide our children tools that can help them build resilience & confidence in themselves. Providing kids mindful tools can help support their social-emotional learning. The benefits of mindfulness have been studied and include:
- Improved Concentration
- Clearer Thinking
- Improved Sleep
- Increased feeling of happiness
- Better Self-Awareness & Self-Control
- Lowers Stress & Anxiety
- Better Decision Making
- Increased Empathy toward others.
- Improves Emotional Regulation skills.
- Develops Compassion, Love & Kindness
HOW CAN I INTRODUCE MY CHILD TO MINDFULNESS?
As a busy mother and healthcare provider, I struggled myself to find the answer to this question. Adding another project to my plate was not something I felt I had the time to do. Juggling work, home & parenting left me warn out and irritable. This was when I realized that mindfulness was something that would be valuable to both me and my kids.
With our growth through mindfulness, came the birth of Mindful BuddieZ. OMI the elephant is an interactive stuffed animal that introduces kids to mindful breathing, emotional regulation skills and positive mindset. What I quickly learned as a mindful teacher was that children did not want another parent or adult telling them to "calm down" or to "take a breathe". But when presented with a kid-friendly meditation from a relatable cuddly stuffed toy, the same kids were in love and ready to invite OMI into their daily lives.
Given this, we decided to share OMI the Elephant with the world as a simple and fun way to introduce kids to mindfulness. Just like we teach kids their ABCs and 123s, OMI helps plant the MINDFULNESS seed into our children. Parents today are more aware of the importance of mental health and overall wellbeing. Providing kids mindful tools is a great way to help promote this foundation.
"Let's Breathe Together"
Kavita Saggar
Founder- Mindful BuddieZ
