The ancient practice of meditation is arguably more useful than ever. Surrounded by the pressures of growing up, it can help your child to sleep soundly, manage stress and find their inner zen.
These days, there are more demands placed on our little ones than ever. Society expects children to achieve so much, while weaving through the complicated world of social media and all of the pressures that come along with it. Most parents are aware of how important it is to look after their children’s physical health, but minding their mental health is just as necessary. While there are many ways to take care of your little one’s mind, meditation is one of the best.
A powerful technique
Meditation is a soothing practice that helps to calm the mind, allowing you to feel re-centred and connected with yourself. All that is required is a quiet space and an open mind. For kids, it can be a challenge to sit still and to stay quiet in order for meditation to work. Adults are much more accustomed to spending time in silence, reflecting and focusing. Thankfully, there are techniques that are specifically designed to help little ones get into their own zen state. First though, let’s take a look at the benefits of mediation.
Benefits of meditation
Meditation is like a secret superpower. It can equip children with a true sense of inner calm, enabling them to control their emotions in the increasingly challenging social landscape. So many kids get swept up in peer pressure and societal expectations. Developing meditation skills will stand to your child throughout their childhood and adulthood, enabling them to be unwavering in their self-awareness and in the driving seat of their own lives.
Sleep
As well as emotional regulation, meditation can have quite a profound effect on sleep. Research suggests that a regular meditation practice can improve the quality of your child’s sleep, while decreasing the amount of time it takes them to fall asleep, and also help them to stay asleep throughout the night.
Focus
Decreasing attention spans is a hot topic in recent times. Children, in particular, are struggling more than ever to develop the ability to focus acutely on the task at hand. During meditation, the amygdala (the part of the brain that responds to stress) is quieter, resulting in a sense of calm under pressure as opposed to jumping into a fight or flight response. This enables children to hold their attention when surrounded by distractions. It’s also believed that a regular meditation practice can enable little ones to increase their memory and mental clarity.
Getting started
We want our children to love the idea of meditation, not to see it as another chore that they have to complete. As a result, we must introduce it gently and in a fun manner. Consider starting with a short meditation as part of your child’s morning or bedtime routine. This is a lovely chance to spend some time together while talking them through a gentle breathing routine. Feel free to get involved with the meditation or, alternatively, you can hold space for them to meditate in peace by ensuring that they don’t get disturbed by anything. A regular meditation practice can help your child ground themselves before a busy day, as well as getting a great night’s sleep.
Teaching children to meditate
In order to ensure that your child adopts meditation as a practice and doesn’t reject it, it’s often a good idea to present it as a completely normal pursuit that will be added into their daily routine. Most young children won’t question this and they will follow the example that you set.
Toddlers
Toddlers love to move around, so don’t force them to sit still to meditate. Encourage them to be gentle in their movements, while they train their focus on their breathing. Teach them to connect with their own bodies and how it feels to slowly inhale and exhale. You can lead them through some simple mindfulness techniques while sitting comfortably, such as concentrating on how their feet feel on the floor, or their back against a chair.
Children
Meditation is a more straightforward proposition for primary school-age children. Simply practising meditation for a few minutes at the beginning and end of each day will help your child to reap the benefits, as well as establishing it as a daily habit. There are an abundance of meditation apps that have settings suited to children, which can make the process more enjoyable and familiar for little ones.
Teenagers
Being a teenager can be very challenging. From all of the physical changes that each teen goes through to constantly changing social circles, it can be very overwhelming. That’s before they even consider contending with the schoolwork and extracurriculars. Meditation acts as a salve to all of these worries. It can help your teen to hold their head through tough times. Some teens will feel awkward or uncomfortable meditating with you, so seek out some guided meditations that they can follow in the privacy of their own room. Mindful practices, such as yoga, can also help your teen to de-stress and find their inner calm.
If your little one is stressed, overwhelmed or agitated, meditation is a wonderful way to help them get back to their best selves. Not just for the tough times, it acts as a holistic method to keep a child’s worries at bay, leaving them to enjoy the best parts of what childhood has to offer!
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