In the UK it’s estimated that one in six children aged 5 to 16 suffers from a probable mental health condition. That’s a 50% increase from what it was 3 years ago. Mindfulness is a coping strategy that is used by many to relieve the symptoms of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, OCD and many more. It involves focusing on the here and now to ground oneself to the present as opposed to overwhelming thoughts relating to the past or future. We have teamed up with a prep school in Essex to share a few ways of exploring mindfulness with your child.
Counting Candles
This technique works well for small children and involves blowing out pretend candles using either their fingers or yours. Each finger represents a candle and should be blown on repeatedly until all are extinguished. This technique is great for calming children down and makes the process of carrying out mindfulness a little more fun and exciting.
Arts and Crafts
Colouring and crafting involve focus and concentration which can help to divert your child’s attention from their problems. It can also be very therapeutic for children and give them joy in being able to express themselves and create something to be proud of.
Paying Attention to The Body
The human body is a fascinating model. It has so many different processes and senses. Focusing on these can help your child to be more aware of the present and ground them to the world around them.
Visualising a Safe Space
A safe space is a happy place where your child would like to go. This may be a place that brings back lots of happy memories or a dream holiday destination. Either way, focusing on it can help your child to feel happier, more optimistic, and less stressed.
If you have any tips for mindfulness with your child please share them below.
*Collaborative post