Like adults, children experience stress, too. It may not necessarily look like their parents’ stress. Kids bring home stress from school or the playground. Maybe there was a lesson that they didn’t understand in class. Perhaps there was an incident during recess. When these things happen, the changes in behavior may or may not be subtle. Kids may withdraw or act out. It will require some investigating on our part to get to the bottom of these behavioral changes. It is vital and necessary that our children are equipped with the tools to navigate stress while they are young in order for them to lead a mindful and balanced life.

This summer, I was honored to teach mindfulness to a group of elementary-aged children. This week-long, camp-style program became my favorite part of the summer. They were engaged, open, and curious. There was a lot of energy, and we breathed through excess energy to bring us back to the moment. They reached out outside of class when there were emotions they just could not shake or not know what to do with. We practiced self-compassion and loving kindness when one the boys were bullied in his new neighborhood. I still connect with this group of kids. They keep me updated on how things are at home and in school, and it makes me so proud that they are able to use mindfulness to train their minds to pause choose a response…or not respond at all. Raising confident and happy children is important in cultivating mindfulness is our youth, and it starts with us.

This image was created by Daniel R., one of the most mindful 9-year olds I’ve ever known. As our class progressed and more material was introduced, he added to his artwork to include what he had learned that day. The end result is nothing short of fantastic.