Children from an early stage have the perfect ability to grasp and learn things. All parents watch physical growth and well-being but they rarely teach their kids to take care of their minds. Hence it is essential to cultivate habits like mindfulness and meditation that would help them in every stage of later life.

Mindfulness Meditation for Children

In simple words, Mindfulness meditation is paying attention to what is happening in the present moment. It may be what you feel, hear, smell, sense, or see. Meditation for children is not about clearing the thoughts in your mind but an honest reflection of your feelings. Teaching meditation from an early stage would cultivate enormous life-changing behaviors and habits that would help build a happy and successful life for your kids.

Benefits of teaching mindfulness meditation to kids

Meditation is an effective technique in teaching people about themselves and controlling what goes on inside their minds. It does wonder when taught to kids. Kids can significantly benefit from this because they are still developing their coping skills for difficult situations. That’s why it's essential to teach them ways of dealing that might not come naturally yet.

Builds Emotional Intelligence:

Meditation teaches kids to develop essential qualities like greater compassion, kindness, empathy towards others. It's important to teach how to display emotions and keep control over them. Self-control is the most crucial trait which can be easily taught through mindfulness meditation.

Improves academic performances:

Mindfulness Meditation makes a kid more focused and attentive. It reduces distractions and increases the grasping power of children. It also raises the academic performance and class participation. Children become more problem solvers and deal with conflicts in positively.

Decreases disruptive behavior:

Practicing meditation can control the disobedient traits of children. It makes children calm and brings a sense of peace to their naughty minds. Negative behaviors and moodiness are treated easily with mindfulness.

Corrects sleep routines and anxiety:

This generation is dealing with the problems caused due to increased screen time of electronic devices. Due to the pandemic and social distancing, people follow up through the online medium. This makes the children addicted to the screens for education, fun, sports, and every other possible activity. This has heavily disturbed the sleep patterns. Meditation can be quite resourceful for healthy sleep routines. It also helps to deal with the anxiety and irritation caused during this time.

Overall well being:

Children face various negativities through TV, news, movies, environmental changes, academic pressures, etc. It is crucial to teach them how to balance all of it from an early stage. Mindful meditation is the key solution to handle all the above problems. Meditation, if made a habit, brings mental, emotional, and physical calmness to your child. It has countless benefits that would help your child cure all the disturbances caused and lead to overall well-being.

Teaching meditation for different kinds of age groups:

Teaching children how to meditate can be a rewarding experience for everyone involved. Whether you are a parent looking for simple ways to help your child deal with distraction or you want to introduce your kids and students to the basics of meditation, this quick guide will give you all the information that you need to get started right away.

How to teach toddlers and preschoolers to meditate?

Teaching children meditation may start at home with toddlers. Since toddlers and preschool-age children benefit from mimicking their caretakers. Therefore adults need to make meditation a part of their daily lives.

• Have them sit down in a quiet place cross-legged or however they feel comfortable.
• Teach them to watch their belly move while inhaling and exhaling.
• Inform them about the benefits they would achieve by doing so in easier words.

It is essential to know that meditation is complex for beginners, even adults, so make it fun for the kids to get attached to meditation. For example: ask your kids to imagine a balloon that you are trying to inflate. Keep in mind to be slow and not burst it. You may also use guided meditation for kids to make it easier.

How to teach elementary-age kids to meditate

Give your child a body scan meditation for assistance with managing stress, emotions, and thoughts, especially when they are feeling overwhelmed. There are various ways to practice meditative exercises. Let your kid choose the way they want. It is essential to be comfortable with the practice they choose to align with themselves easily. There are certain relaxing pieces of music and sounds available to tune your mind.

Meditation for teens

Likewise, preadolescents and teens can practice mindfulness the same way as adults. They can do the five senses meditation to be aware of the present. Breathing works effectively to manage and control emotional swings and disturbances, which are common in this age—making meditation a habit that would help teens avoid falling into traps of peer pressure. There are various apps for a guided meditation that can be used before bedtime or early in the morning to calm the mind, body, and soul.

Conclusion:

Teaching children of all ages how to meditate is the cultivation of a positive attitude for a lifetime. This habit would never betray your kid at any moment of life. It only brings in a positive lifestyle and initiates moments of calm and peace. Children learn to connect with themselves at a very early stage which further develops self-awareness and self-confidence.