Benefits of Mindfulness for Children and Parents

Mindfulness has been widely known to improve our overall wellbeing, mental health and our physical health.  The benefits of regular Mindfulness practice have been shown to help relieve stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, improve the immune system, improve sleep, improve digestive issues, lessen emotional reactivity, increase positivity, and increase relaxation.

When we are Mindful, we are more likely to savour the joys in life that are often missed when we are ‘mindless’.  When we are fully engaged in activities, we switch off our mental chatter, the type of mind wandering where we end up getting caught up in endless worry thoughts. When we are Mindful, we become less pre-occupied with the past and future and more focused on the now.  This creates a more relaxed state of mind and body and helps to switch off our stress response.  In this state, we are also able to connect with others in a more meaningful way.

Mindfulness is one of the ways parents can reduce the stress of parenting and create calmer households. The calmer our homes, the better everyone can manage and enjoy day to day living. 

Formal and Informal Mindfulness

Simply Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment. It means taking a step back and noticing our outer world through our senses and noticing our inner world by being aware of our thoughts and feelings with an attitude of curiosity and non-judgement. It is also the ability to be fully present without being ‘caught up’ in our thoughts and by being present to our immediate environment.

Mindfulness can be experienced in a variety of ways including the formal practice of Mindfulness Meditations or in more informal ways such as being fully present in a day-to-day task. The formal practice of Mindfulness requires making time regularly to deliberately focus on the present moment, often by connecting to body through noticing the breath or senses in the body, Mindful movements or noticing with curiosity our feelings and thoughts.

For children, Mindfulness is an excellent way to provide experiences that enhance their emotional intelligence including self-regulation, impulse control, understanding their emotions, controlling their emotions, and generally become more aware of themselves as a whole person.  One of the easiest ways children can access the informal experience of Mindfulness is through free play (off screens).  Through play, children are often in the present moment only focusing on what is happening now, rather than being anxious about the future or thinking about the past.  This gives children the vital rest and rejuvenation they need each day.
 
Neuroscience of Mindfulness

Practising Mindfulness literally changes the brain over time. Research shows that Mindfulness has enormous benefits for the brain and in particular, two main areas of the brain – the amygdala and pre-fontal cortex.  The amygdala is a primal part of the brain, associated with fear and emotion, and responsible for the first step in a chain of reactions in the body's response to stress. On the other hand, the pre-frontal cortex is the part of the brain that helps with concentration, decision-making and awareness.
By regularly practising Mindfulness, links between the amygdala and pre-frontal cortex are weakened therefore there is less ‘reactivity’ and more control over emotional responses. Over time there is also a decreased activation in Default Mode Network – the wandering ‘Monkey Mind’ so we ruminate less.

Mindfulness is a path not a tool

If we are constantly in a rush, take on too much, multitask often, or get stuck in the ‘achieving’ mode, then we can have our stress response activated often.   If we do not give ourselves times to rest, reflect, and participate in nourishing activities then we are not giving ourselves some necessary time to rejuvenate.

When we are focused on the present moment, this usually switches off our Sympathetic nervous system, the ‘stress response’ and switches on the Parasympathetic nervous system which is our ‘rest and digest’ system.  Both formal and informal Mindfulness practices both reduces our stress levels so embracing both practices are beneficial.  

Mindfulness goes beyond ‘meditation’.  It is a way of living that we are always cultivating and deepening. Mindfulness as a lifelong skill and way of life, we embody throughout our whole lives. This includes regular pauses throughout the day, checking in with yourself and how you are feeling, checking in with your body and body sensations and noticing emotions and feelings. 

When we live Mindfully, we can aim to pause before reacting. Taking those few seconds, taking a pause to check in with our bodies, feelings, and thoughts and choose how to respond in any given situation.

Mindful Parenting

Mindfulness can be brought into play at home, where parents are fully present in each moment while playing and interacting with their child.  This not only nurtures children’s overall wellbeing but can be a great way for parents to practice being informally Mindful.  Mindfulness in the family can strengthen relationships, deepen connections, and increase everyone’s well-being, particularly when we deeply listen to our child.

While playing with children, parents can intentionally put themselves in the ‘Being Mode’ (rather than the ‘Doing Mode’) and connect with their child with Mindful attention. This creates an environment that not only brings more enjoyment but also a time when parents can find out more about their child. 

‘Mindful Play’ an opportunity to fill our children’s ‘cups’ when a parent gives full undivided attention to the child, noticing when our minds wander off to our ‘to do’ list or the next task and bring the attention back to the play in the present. Even 10 minutes a day of Mindful Play with our child makes a difference. 
Some simple Mindfulness techniques to begin Mindfulness at home

Breathing Buddies

• Lie down on the floor
• Place your ‘Breathing Buddy’ (a soft toy, wheat pack or meditation stone) on your tummy.
• When you breathe in observe how your breathing buddy moves up
• When you breathe out observe how your breathing buddy moves down.
• Slowly breathe in counting to 3.
• Breathe our slowly counting to 4 or 5.
• Repeat 3 times- close your eyes over after 1 or 2 rounds if this feel comfortable.
• Finish with noticing how your body feels, noticing body sensations.

 
Finger Breathing

• Hold out your hand and spread your fingers.
• Using the pointer finger of your other hand trace along each finger, starting from the base of the thumb.

• As you rise up each finger take a breath in and then as you go down the other side of the finger breath out.

• Pause between each in and out breath.
• Breathe in through your nose and then out through your mouth. (Children can also explore just breathing in and out through the nose if this is more comfortable)

• Do this for each hand. 

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