Mindfulness for Children and Educators Cheryl Anderson, RECE Quality Child Care Initiative

Mindfulness When we are stressed, anxious or operating from a fight-flight response, we are unable to access the higher level “decision making” part of the brain Mindfulness helps us recognize what is happening internally – helps us to pay attention, focus and concentrate, how to listen and learn and how to be in relationship with ourself and others – how to be present in the moment

MIndfulness Introduce and practice mindfulness when child is in a calm, regulated state, not when they are feeling stressed Mindfulness is an invitation not a requirement – it is not a disciplinary tool Practice mindfulness during positive times; make it part of the daily routine Best experienced then talk about it

Mindfulness Less is more Mindfulness for school-agers is all about how the adult models it themselves

Mindfulness for Self Sit quietly for a few minutes each day Take a few moments to breathe before you start your day Take a moment to feel the warmth of the sun on your face Walk from your car to work mindfully with all of your attention focused on the bottom of your feet Keep a mindfulness journal

Let’s Try It! Time to Breathe Giant Strides Making Rain Movement Human Camera

Mindfulness for the Children Counting Sounds (a mindful walking practice) Time to breathe (sometimes called Tuza which means to “slow down and chill” in one of the local dialects in Rwanda) Rainbow walk Tense and Let Go Body Scan

ABC’S (ages 5-7) In life it helps to remember our ABC’s . This is especially true when things are difficult. So when things are difficult, keep these ABC’s in mind: A is for attention. Sometimes it is helpful just to stop and pay attention to our B is for breath. Usually when we pay attention to our breath it is easier to C is for choose. When we stop and pay attention to our breath, then sometimes we can make a kind choice, a choice that is kind to us and kind to others. A Still Quiet Place, Amy Saltzman

STAR (ages 8 – 12) You may find this STAR practice helpful when you are feeling stressed (taking a test, doing homework) or dealing with another difficulty S is for stop. When you are faced with a difficulty, like a question on a test that you don’t know the answer to, or a challenge with a peer, stop. T is for take a breath. Usually taking a few, slow breaths releases the mind and allows us to..

A is for accept. Accept that you are having difficulty, and that you are a bit stressed or frustrated or…. R is for restart or resume. When you are ready, after you have taken some slow deep breaths and accepted how you are feeling, you can restart and work on the problem again (alone or with assistance from another) A Still Quiet Place, Amy Saltzman