236 E. Foothill Blvd., Suite C | Arcadia, CA 91006
(626) 755-4059 | sabigail@protonmail.com

S. Abigail McCarrel, LCSW, DCSW

  • Home
  • About
    • Meet Abby
    • Services
    • Client Forms
    • Credentials:
    • FAQs
    • Rates & Insurance
    • Good Faith Estimate Notice
  • Specialties
    • Brain-Based, Parent Coaching Therapy
    • Online Therapy for Parents and Families
    • Family Therapy for Gifted Children
    • Counseling for Gifted Students’ Parents
    • Family Therapy: When Bad Stuff Happens
    • Post-Adoption Family Therapy
  • Contact Abby
  • Family Therapy Blog
  • Media

Teaching Kids Mindfulness: The Benefits and Easiest Ways to Do It!

February 19, 2021 by BBYMCCRRL75216 Leave a Comment

Teaching Kids Mindfulness: Two boys making funny faces as they hold their breaths in a mindfulness activity in family therapy

“Pay attention!” Teaching kids mindfulness has many benefits.

It’s a phrase that is uttered dozens of times a week (if not more) in households where children between the ages of two and 18 reside. How is it that when they WANT to, oh say when they are playing video games or watching cartoons, kids can have a tremendous attention span. But at any other time, getting them to be present is harder than getting them to close the refrigerator door!

While getting kids to pay attention can seem frustrating, there is an answer to the madness: mindfulness.

Mindful Kids are Happier Kids:

Several studies have shown that kids who participate in mindfulness programs are happier. And the sooner you get kids started with mindfulness, the easier it becomes for them to develop a capacity to become calm and centered when life throws them stressful situations.

What does this look like in real life?

Well, picture how a normal 7-year old responds to a situation that is scary, overwhelming, and generally unpleasant. Say they are getting ready to take a hard test or going to the dentist. Most will become so fearful and anxious that they have a hard time being calmed by a parent or other guardian.

The 7-year old who practices mindfulness meditation knows to stop, close their eyes, and breathe deeply to get themselves calm and focused.

The two outcomes are vastly different. That’s because meditation and deep breathing exercises actually change the physiology of the brain, according to scientists. Instead of kids reacting emotionally to a charged situation (being controlled by their emotions), children can control their impulses and reactions to that situation.

OK, but how do you get kids to practice mindfulness when it’s difficult to get them to do pretty much anything, let alone meditate!  Here are some ways you can help your kids become more mindful:

1. Help them discover their inner experience.

Spend time helping kids understand what is happening to their bodies during stressful and calm situations. Ask them to explore their emotions. The more insight they have into their inner experience, the better able they will be to control their responses to external experiences.

2. Teaching kids mindfulness through breathing.

Practice deep breathing with your child. You can do it while driving or before putting them to bed at night. Share with them how to relax, slowly breathe in deeply and exhale. Invite them to feel any tension melt away.

3. Be a Good Example.

Your child will not even want to try and be mindful and in control when they see you out of control. Are you one to yell at other drivers? Do you get far too angryContact page for a welcoming caucasian female therapist in a blue top and long brown hair seated at a comfortable dining room table teaching mindfulness to kids and their parents when your dog tracks mud in the house? Does a telemarketer at dinner send you through the roof? If so, it’s time to try deep breathing and meditation yourself. Be an example. If your child sees their parents handling stress in healthier ways, they will be far more likely to give it a go.

While it will take some effort to get your kid to commit to practicing mindfulness, the results that it will bring to their life are completely worth it.

Contact Abby:

If you would like some support creating a more mindful family, then give me a call (626) 755-4059.  I offer a FREE, 20-minute phone consultation. Let’s co-create a plan of healing for you or your family.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Children Tagged With: #Parenting, Deep breathing, Family, Family Conflicts, Family Counseling, family therapy for gifted, gifted, grounding, meditation, mindful awareness, mindful parenting, mindfulness, online family therapy, parents, stress of parenting

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

S. Abigail McCarrel, LCSW, DCSW



Phone: (626) 755-4059
sabigail@protonmail.com
Contact Abby

S. Abigail McCarrel, LCSW, DCSW

Phone: (626) 755-4059 sabigail@protonmail.com

Address
236 E. Foothill Blvd., Ste, C
Arcadia, CA19006

S. Abigail McCarrel : Welcome Home Family Therapy


The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest

Proud Member of TherapyDen

Get Started

Click on the button below to schedule a free 20 minute phone consultation with S. Abigail McCarrel, LCSW, DCSW.

Contact Abby

Privacy Policy
A Website by Brighter Vision