Mindfulness for Kids: Strategies to Foster Calm and Focus

The world today seems to have a common theme for everyone. BUSY, BUSY, BUSY. It is no wonder in a world where our own mindfulness falls to the wayside, we find ourselves seeking advice on mindfulness for kids.

Everywhere you look there is a screen in your face. Everyone is always rushing from this place to that. Shoot, even the grocery stores are resorting to doing your shopping for you so that you can have two minutes to sit down.

I can only imagine how the craziness of life today appears in the eyes of our little ones.

With all of the rushing about, there has never been a better time to work on mindfulness and meditation with kids.

**Disclaimer- I received this product for free from MomsMeet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.**

But Why Does it Matter?

Teaching kids to deal with the stress of their day-to-day lives at an early age is key in today’s world. Quite frankly, things are so fast-paced and in your face nowadays that even I want to curl up into a ball and cry sometimes.

Making sure that your child is aware that they have the ability to take out a few “me moments” for mindfulness and meditation is important for just this reason. Encouraging your children to slow down can help them to learn positive coping skills when stress comes their way.

Plus, mindfulness in children has been known to improve overall brain function in kids. Since they are able to calm and rationalize themselves at a young age, they learn to think through their problems differently and develop the skills of self-regulation, reasoning, and attention while decreasing anxiety.

Pretty powerful stuff, no?

Now that you know why it is important, where do you start?

Make Time for Reflection

Teaching our kids mindfulness and meditation starts with how we set the scene. I totally get how easy it is to become stuck on turbo mode. For your kiddos sake though mama, we have to learn to slow down.

Giving our kids even five quiet minutes for reflection can do wonders for their mental health.

If you have to, add the time out to your daily schedule. Make it a part of your routine to take five to ten minutes right after lunch to simply sit and reflect. Give your kids a chance to calm down and unwind and see how great of an effect it has on them.

Teach Them the Practice 

You do not have to be a meditation master to teach your kids how to be more mindful in their day to day.

Start simply by teaching your kids how to find their breath. Focus on slowing their breathing, and counting each deep breath together.

When you are ready to move to the next level, YouTube has some seriously cute yoga and meditation videos for kids. Check them out!

Give Them the Tools

As with anything, providing children with the proper tools for mindfulness and meditation is essential to their success in both.

Recently, we were able to try a Zafooz cushion, a product made to promote mindfulness in children. Using this tool, I have found that my son has been provided an outlet to slow himself from the world around him. When he is upset or angry, I often find him in his room with his Mindful Monkey cushion close as he grounds himself and finds his own calm.

These lovable characters feature carry handles, as well as removable, washable covers. Not only is my son able to center himself at home, but since his monkey is so easily cleaned, he is able to take his Zafooz cushion on the go as well!

Crazy Mom Talk

Real talk time. Prior to my partnership with Mom’s Meet for this review, I had never even heard of a product like Zafooz.

Sure, my kids have worked through SEVERAL YouTube kids yoga videos. We have tried a meditation practice here and there. This cushion though, it is what pulled it all together for my son. It gave him something physical to reach out for when he was stressed. On the other hand, it isn’t like any of his other plush toys that have to be with him 24/7.

His Mindful Monkey is there when he needs a minute, but once he has worked through his issue, he is able to put him down and move on with his day.

I call that a win, win.

How are you encouraging mindfulness and meditation with your kids? Is it something you have tried? Let me know in the comments below!