Right now, is a difficult time for us all, right? Have you noticed any changes in your children’s behaviour? Maybe they’re getting into a bit more trouble than usual? Or maybe they’re more withdrawn, tearful or clingy?
In this article I am going to share with you 5 of my child friendly mindfulness techniques, which will help your child to concentrate on the here and now, leaving them feeling calm and relaxed.
1. Deep Breathes.
Taking deep breathes in and out really helps us to focus our minds.
So, lets start with breathing in. Ask your child to imagine their favourite food and picture it in their mind. It can be anything from a big bowl of spaghetti, your favourite pizza or freshly baked cookies. Now take a deep breathe in and smell that delicious smell. Practice doing this a few times, breathing out in between.
Now we’re going to concentrate on breathing out. Ask your child to imagine a huge birthday cake covered in lots of candles. Then ask them to take a deep breathe in and blow out all the candles. You will need a steady slow breath out for this.
Now we need to put them together.
Smell the cookies…1,2,3,4…and blow out the candles…5,6,7,8.
Practice doing this about 3 or 4 times, before you start to feel the effect.
2. Write a Grateful List.
This task will allow your children to think about all the good things in their life. For this you will need a pen and paper. Younger children may wish to draw rather than write.
To start, ask your child to make a list of 10 things which they are grateful for. Such as family, friends, food, toys, health care, etc. Get them to take their time and really think about the task.
If you like this task, you could continue to list 2 or 3 things, each day, which you are grateful for.
Photo by Tatiana Syrikova from Pexels
3. Listen to Your Senses.
This is a really calming exercise and helps us to focus. For this activity you will need to be sat comfortably in a relatively quiet place. Close your eyes and take 3 deep breathes in and out.
We are now going to go through each of our senses.
First try to list in your mind 3 things which you can hear.
Then try to list in your mind anything you can smell.
Once you have done that, next try to think of 3 things which you can feel.
This activity allows you to explore the world around you through your senses. Take your time with this exercise to really feel the benefit.
4. Warm Light.
This activity is great to do before bed to help your body wind down and relax.
To start, ask your child to either sit or lie down in a comfortable place. Slowly read the following in a calm and relaxing voice. Over time your child should be able to learn the process and be able to do it all by themselves.
Imagine a warm light entering your body through your toes. Imagine each of your toes slowly lighting up. The light travels through your feet, up your legs, past your knees and into your thighs.
The warm light then flows through your bottom into you back and tummy making you feel warm and cosy inside. The light then runs down your arms, past your elbows and into your hands, followed by each finger.
The warm, comforting light then travels through your chest and into your neck. The light enters your head, flowing through your eyes, ears, nose and mouth and then finally runs through the length of your hair.
5. Imagine your Favourite Place.
This is another lovely activity for focusing our mind and making us feel calm.
Ask your child to sit or lie down in a comfortable place. Start by taking 3 deep breathes.
Now ask your child to imagine their favourite place. This could be anywhere, a park, a beach, a place on holiday or even their own bedroom. Your child now needs to close their eyes and pretend that they are in their favourite place. You may wish to ask them some questions that relate to the place they have chosen.
Here is mine as an example.
I like to imagine I am sat on a sandy beach with the warm sun on my face. I can smell the salty sea air and occasionally I get a whiff of freshly cooked chips coming from the beach café. I take a sip of my ice-cold cola, the bubbles tickle my tongue. I can hear the waves lapping up on the shore and the children giggling as they run through the sand.
Photo by Tatiana Syrikova from Pexels
I hope you enjoyed my 5 tips of mindfulness for children and I hope that they help in these difficult times.
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