I regularly get enquiries from parents about Mindfulness classes for children and over the past number of years I have taught quite a few. I no longer teach Mindfulness to Primary school children however I do teach it to classes and their teachers together and there is reason I have changed what I do.
In my experience schools often choose to implement a Mindfulness programme and at the start they have great intentions. However, over time, with busy schedules and lots of subjects to cover, the Mindfulness practice gets forgotten. As a practice Mindfulness’ benefits come from repeated practice and this is proven in all the scientific research. Unfortunately, if a child experiences Mindfulness sporadically then they lose many of the benefits gained during the times of no practice.
Children who came to my classes privately in the past always enjoyed doing the meditations. However, because the practice isn’t encouraged at home and parents have either never learned to meditate, or don’t choose to practice with their child, then the meditation soon gets forgotten when the class or course ends.
I think one of the reasons for this is most people don’t realise that Mindfulness is a meditation practice and not something you think about and do, ‘I’m going to be more Mindful’. Mindful is something you become because you meditate.
So how do you help your child become more Mindful? The first thing you should do is learn to practice the meditation yourself so that you can share it and teach it to them. Secondly, encourage your child’s school to implement a whole school meditation practice with a set time for everyone to practice every day. Thirdly, start a family meditation practice where you meditate together every day at a set time so that during weekends and school holidays your child’s practice won’t get dropped and allowing the health benefits disappear. Lastly, download a meditation app for children like Smiling Mind, you can find the link on my Facebook page in the newsfeed.
There are great rewards for having a family meditation practice. Not only will you and your child have a regular practice that benefits you both mentally and physically you will also have a shared experience that will improve bonding and give you some quality time together. You can also share your challenges and improvements with each other and as your child grows which will help to maintain lines of open communication.
If you would like to learn to meditate as a family, you can book a family meditation workshop with me. It takes two hours and you will learn how to practice Mindfulness in all its forms as well as how to bring this practice into the life of your family. Or you can book a four week course, one hour a week. For more information check out my website or email info@metta-morphics.com or phone 00353868373582. Thanks for reading, Elfreda
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