Runningmom80 Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I would love to add more mindfulness and meditation into our home school day. My kids are already yogis, so this won't be too weird for them. If you practice meditation with your kids, what does it look like on a daily basis? Any resources? I'm on Pinterest right now researching kids books on meditation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 We liked Sitting Still Like a Frog. A lot of times we do meditation at the beginning of school time: lighting a candle, sounding a chime, and flipping over a three-minute sand timer to just sit peacefully. DS found it hard at first--our first timer was only 30 seconds--but enjoys it now. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runningmom80 Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 We liked Sitting Still Like a Frog. A lot of times we do meditation at the beginning of school time: lighting a candle, sounding a chime, and flipping over a three-minute sand timer to just sit peacefully. DS found it hard at first--our first timer was only 30 seconds--but enjoys it now. Oh that's a great idea! Slowly adding time seems like the only option with kids. I wouldn't expect mine to sit quietly for any length of time yet. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SporkUK Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 You might be interested in MindUP. I'm using it for our spine for metacognition and mindfulness - it includes breathing and meditation-like exercises that can be extended as well as lessons on the whys behind it: how the brain works, how the breathing helps, bringing mindfulness and senses together, and so on. They have a K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 books which all have the same format (so the table of contents is the same) but the readings and activity suggestions are set to age. My kids really enjoy it, and I like it because it does explain at their level and it's really flexible - it has a main lesson per section then a bunch of activities, readings, and ideas that you can pick from and it's easy to add other books and topics to along the way 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runningmom80 Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 You might be interested in MindUP. I'm using it for our spine for metacognition and mindfulness - it includes breathing and meditation-like exercises that can be extended as well as lessons on the whys behind it: how the brain works, how the breathing helps, bringing mindfulness and senses together, and so on. They have a K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 books which all have the same format (so the table of contents is the same) but the readings and activity suggestions are set to age. My kids really enjoy it, and I like it because it does explain at their level and it's really flexible - it has a main lesson per section then a bunch of activities, readings, and ideas that you can pick from and it's easy to add other books and topics to along the way Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jar7709 Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 We are using MindUp slowly. One of my kids is uncomfortable with mindfulness (the one who needs it most of course) so we spend a long time getting used to one exercise before exploring another. Even if we never "finish" the book, though, the simple addition of a chime and breathing to the beginning of our morning time has been totally worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Thich Nhat Hahn's "Planting Seeds" is a good resource. Or what about "Mindful Movements"? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 We liked Sitting Still Like a Frog. A lot of times we do meditation at the beginning of school time: lighting a candle, sounding a chime, and flipping over a three-minute sand timer to just sit peacefully. DS found it hard at first--our first timer was only 30 seconds--but enjoys it now. I don't, but DH and the kids do Sit Still Like a Frog, too. They say thumbs up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternallytired Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 We're also doing MindUP very slowly. My kids love the exercises and are getting better at mindful breathing (even the 3 yo!), and I love the material on how the brain functions. I find it really helpful to refer to when they are getting upset while doing work. It really helps them understand why I want them to calm down before attempting to solve their problem, and it's given them resources to help them do so. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobeatenpath Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 A great resource for this kind of thing is Smiling Mind Smiling Mind is modern meditation for young people. It is a unique web and App-based program, designed to help bring balance to young lives.It is a not-for-profit initiative based on a process that provides a sense of clarity, calm and contentment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I got this link here just within the past couple of weeks. We've only used it once so far. http://children.meditation.org.au/oldfolks.asp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathy_overman Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I am so glad to know that I am not alone in wanting to teach meditation/mindfulness to my kids. I am just beginning my own practice and I have found many benefits of learning to quiet my mind. I have done a few of the guided meditations from Meditation Australia (I think you have to join - for free). They have several short meditations for kids as well. We will give one a try this morning before we begin. I began reading Dan Harris' book 10% Happier yesterday, and am really enjoying it. It is not for kids but a good read so far. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runningmom80 Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 I am so glad to know that I am not alone in wanting to teach meditation/mindfulness to my kids. I am just beginning my own practice and I have found many benefits of learning to quiet my mind. I have done a few of the guided meditations from Meditation Australia (I think you have to join - for free). They have several short meditations for kids as well. We will give one a try this morning before we begin. I began reading Dan Harris' book 10% Happier yesterday, and am really enjoying it. It is not for kids but a good read so far. 10% is on my never-ending list of books to read. I'm glad you are enjoying it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.