AMA: Meditation for Children

“I have been practising meditation for some time and can feel the benefits. I know that meditation is also beneficial for children. Still, when I try to get my three children to meditate, all I get in return is chaos. They won’t sit still, they won’t stop talking, giggling and poking each other. How can I get them to meditate with me?”

This sounds like a stressful experience. Good on you for having a go. As you may have noticed, meditation is not easy. It is only when we move past your expectations that we can enjoy and benefit from the practice. The same “let go” needs to occur when teaching our children to meditate.

We need to consider the child’s age and style of meditation we want them to undertake. While you can expect a 10-year-old to sit still for ten minutes to practice traditional meditation, you can’t expect the same from a 5-year-old.

To make meditation an activity that the whole family can enjoy, try starting with Mindfulness.

Here are 7 ways to teach Mindfulness to kids:

1. Keep it simple

Bindfulness is noticing our thoughts, what our body feels like, what we’re hearing and anything else in our environment at the present moment.

2. Create a mindful bedtime ritual

Bedtime is a great time to introduce Mindfulness to kids. A short body-scan meditation before bed is a calming way to unwind at the end of the day. Ask your child to close her eyes, and tell her to bring her attention to her toes, feet, legs, fingers, arms, belly, neck, mouth, ears and eyes. Take a couple of deep breaths while focusing on each body part.

3. Practice with a breathing buddy

For young children, an instruction to simply “pay attention to your breath” can be hard to follow. Ask your child to grab a stuffed animal, then lie down on their back with their buddy on their belly. Ask them to focus their attention on the rise and fall of the stuffed animal as they breathe in and out.

4. Make your walks mindful

Try a NOTICING WALK. Walk through your neighbourhood and notice things you haven’t seen before. Dedicate one minute of the walk where you are completely silent and pay attention to all the sounds you can hear — birds, cars, a lawnmower.

5. Establish a gratitude practice

Gratitude is a fundamental component of Mindfulness, teaching our children to appreciate the abundance in their lives, as opposed to focusing on all the things they crave.

6. Meditate with your children

If you are practising meditation and get interrupted by your children, ask if they would like to join. Try to continue your meditation even as they play around you. Eventually, they may sit down and join you for a few minutes.

7. Make it fun

Use the Superpower Kids MINDFULNESS CHATTERBOX Printable and start playing.