We are living in an exciting moment in the history of education, where the inner growth of children is increasingly valued by educators. This inner world, beyond the mere accumulation of information and the acquisition of skills in reading, writing, numeracy, and reasoning, reveals a deeper form of cultivation through children’s emotional development.
Children live in a wonderful state of “nowness”, where all their desires feel urgent and must be fulfilled “right now”. The journey towards learning to manage that spontaneous impulsivity we are all naturally born with is undoubtedly a long one, and it must be supported every step of the way through sustained, attentive guidance.
Every moment of frustration for a child can be seen as an opportunity, rather than a setback. The emotional world develops and enriches itself only when an emotion is experienced and given its place. We see this when a child is enraged, terrified, or heartbroken.
Do we try to make the emotion disappear as quickly as possible? How uncomfortable do these emotions make us feel? Are we truly able to stay with them?
As adults, we recognise that the situations provoking these emotions are often seen through a disproportionate and distorted lens in the child’s mind. We can clearly see that ‘it’s not such a big deal’ and that ‘there’s no reason to get like this.’ We might say, ‘That’s it, come on, it’s over… let it go.”
As if it were that simple! Learning to release emotions and ‘let them go’ is surely one of the most complex abilities we can develop and one that can be cultivated through the practice of mindfulness.
Some Benefits of Mindfulness for Children.
- It allows them to train the ability to attend to the present with a kind attitude and without judgment.
- Through daily practice, they develop and train the ability to focus and concentrate.
- They develop the ability to regulate their emotions, promoting states of calm.
- They experience a reduction in stress and anxiety.
- They improve their self-control, regulation, and ability to reflect, thereby reducing impulsiveness.
- They become more self-aware: of their body, emotions, thoughts, and behaviour.
- They increase their active and present listening among themselves. Children become more connected with themselves and, therefore, also with others. Empathy grows, and their relationships improve both with themselves and their surroundings.
- Their body awareness increases, which helps develop skills for health care.
- There is a decrease in identification with their thoughts or circumstances, which also reduces judgment and criticism towards themselves and others.
- They obtain greater emotional and psychological balance.
CULTIVATE YOUR INNER HAPPINESS AND YOUR MIND!!
