Creating a daily mindfulness practice is a great idea. Sitting with your child and helping them focus on their breathing or doing other exercises focused on mindfulness is a great way to help them learn to remain calm in hectic or stressful situations and gain a sense of control over their minds and bodies.
Focusing on the needs of others is one great way to promote mindfulness in children. Whether it’s an elderly relative that they write letters to or make art for or a family pet that needs to be fed and watered and cleaned up after on a daily basis, caring for another being helps children be mindful. They must put themselves in the here and now of another being, considering needs outside of their own, and developing the empathy needed to meet those needs for the sake of another.
This can be a regular activity such as those mentioned or you could encourage it in situations that pop up. For example, if a friend loses a beloved pet, you could help your child figure out the kindest and most sensitive way to respond. They could make a card, invite them for a playdate, or do something that is specific to that friend that will let them know that your child cares.
Another way you can encourage your child to focus on the here and now is to have them be responsible to care for their belongings and their space. Encourage them to immediately put their dirty clothes in an easily accessible hamper as they change clothes. Have them put their toys away each night before getting ready for bed. Assign them chores that are appropriate for their developmental stage such as clearing the table of dirty dishes, throwing away any trash that may accumulate throughout the home, or putting away their clean laundry.
You may notice that the activities suggested here are almost guaranteed to make your children more pleasant to be around. That is one of the benefits of mindfulness. Whether child or adult, people who are more mindful of their surroundings, including the people, places, and things in their world, are more pleasant to be around. They are considered to be more thoughtful and caring than other people. What better compliment could you get about your own child, or yourself, for that matter?
