Let's Discuss Mindfully

Here is a simple activity to have kids engage in mindful eating. Have the kids act as an explorer and use all of their senses to investigate their food. This activity is great to have them slow down and take notice of every part of the experience. Enjoy a snack; Have a few different kinds of snacks to choose from. Look - what colors and shapes do you see? Listen - does your food make a sound? Touch - is it smooth, bumpy or rough? Smell - what does your food smell like? Taste - have them put the food on their tongue but don’t let them chew it just yet. Notice how it feels in your mouth. Do you taste anything yet? Start to chew, does the flavor change? How many different flavors are there? Increase your child’s awareness when eating: Have them take a deep breath or take a second to be thankful for their meal before eating. Ask them how hungry they are before a meal. Allow them to serve themselves, this will allow them to become familiar with appropriate serving sizes. Eat without distractions such as the television or computer.Have them put down their fork in between bites. Wait 15 minutes after eating to decide if they are still hungry for seconds (it takes about 15 minutes for your brain to register if you’re full or not).

Meditation for children is against the very nature of being a child. Stillness is not a part of their intrinsic nature. However, you can make it a regular practice by practicing it with them. I have been teaching mindfulness to kids and as a parent have been practicing for 2 years now. We have a bed time routine. We have a singing bowl and we take turns in closing our eyes and doing mindful listening. We also do breathing meditation with our stuffed toys. I have smaller kids and so I use stuffed toys. With older kids its way easier. We do mindful eating once a week where we just focus on texture and mindful walking in the park. Teach them young and as they inculcate this habit, it will become second nature to them.

Very few schools in America incorporate social and emotional learning in their curriculum. However, you can teach your child emotional intelligence in schools. Here are few strategies you can use and teach EI: 1) Name it to tame it: This is a great tool that can be used to manage emotions. This is very useful when meltdowns are happening. The naming of an emotion helps create the connection between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex and thereby brings our rational brain to the forefront. 2) Create a mood meter at home: Creating a mood meter at home, can help teach EI to the whole family and help bring calm and peace to your home. 3) Acknowledge your child's perspective: Just being understood helps humans let go of troubling emotions. If your child's upset seems out of proportion to the situation, remember that we all store up emotions. Empathizing doesn’t mean you agree, just that you see it from his side, too. 4) Use the RULER approach: This is an approach formulated by the Yale's School of Emotional Intelligence. RULER is a great guide to help children and parents effectively recognize emotions, understand them, label them, express them and finally regulate them. 5) Teach Mindfulness: Mindfulness helps children become more aware of their breath and their thoughts and gives tools to them to effectively manage periods of emotional breakdowns.