Mindful Kids

Practices for your Kids:

Now I’m no expert but I do have two boys which means I’ve had tons of hours of hands on experience in constantly trying to keep my cool and have them do the same. Some times I see the boys being these super sweet, mindful little beings while others I find myself repeatedly saying things like, “stop putting your brother in a headlock.” I figure it’s all part of the journey so by sprinkling in some simple practices between wrestling matches maybe something will stick;)

Affirmations:

Before preschool I used to take my youngest to the park to play. There was a beautiful park nearby where we’d let some extra energy out before having to settle down for school. It was a wonderful time for just he and I to connect, goof around and sprinkle in some affirmations. In the video below you’ll see just by walking around or swinging I’d have him repeat after me some “I am” statements. I usually just made them up on the go or if there was something that he was concerned about I’d add in a positive statement about that particular topic (i.e. I make friends easily.). The great thing about kids that age is there is no ego holding them back from playing along. They don’t feel too cool or embarrassed to hold them back. What a beautiful thing!

Now that the boys are older (elementary school) we don’t have that fun before school playtime (sniff, sniff) but I still add in affirmations with them when the moment is right like chanting them all crazy while bouncing around. I actually heard Rob Dyrdek (skateboarder & star of my old fav MTV show Rob & Big or Fantasy Factory) on a podcast talk about how he has his kids chant affirmations every morning too so clearly it’s the cool thing to do, lol. Aside from that a bigger thing that we are into now is using affirmation cards. Each day one of the boys (alternate to eliminate fighting) gets to pick a card from our deck, read it and display it on our table by the door for all to see. We take a quick moment to discuss how we can use it for the day or how it makes us feel. At the end of the day I ask how the affirmation applied to their day. It’s a fun easy little practice that I’m riding for as long as I can.

Note to Self: Try making up affirmations or having the kids come up with 1-3 of their own. Practice reciting them on a walk, getting ready for school or before bed.

Meditation:

One of my spiritual teachers, Eckhart Tolle, says that even one conscious breath can be a meditation. So just getting your kids to stop and focus on their belly expanding and the air filling their body then flowing out is a win in my book. If your child seems into it then try setting a timer for one minute and building from there.

Another route is simply leading by example. My boys see me meditate so much that whether they feel like joining me or not they at least are familiar with what I’m doing. I think most adults who haven’t meditated before think it’s some crazy experience so just by having my boys feel comfortable around it I think it a major step in the right direction.

Note to Self: Don’t hide the fact you meditate from your kids. Even one deep intentional breath can be considered a major win. Then strive for two breaths and so on.