Why should you look into mindful parenting?
Think back to the last time you let your emotions get the best of you.
Maybe you yelled at a driver after being cut off in traffic for what felt like the millionth time that day. Maybe you said something you regretted while arguing with your significant other. Whatever the case, when you look back at how you felt and reacted in the moment, you’ll likely notice that you behaved in uncharacteristic ways.
As a parent, you’re going to find yourself in plenty of situations where it’s easy to get hijacked by your emotions and as a result do or say something that you shouldn’t.
That’s where mindful parenting comes in. Mindfulness is about bringing your attention to the internal and external sensations of the present moment. Once you’ve properly done that, you’re able to acknowledge your feelings and respond calmly. This can be done through meditation, deep breathing, yoga and other similar practices.
Parents aren’t the only ones who can benefit from mindfulness. Teaching your children to regularly engage in mindfulness practices can help them better navigate tough situations, as well.
Mindfulness is one of the many topics we focus on here at ParentEducate.com, the top provider of online parenting courses. We’ve taken some of the information from our Mindfulness with Children course to help demonstrate why it’s a worthwhile tactic to start employing with your child.
- It has proven impacts on the well-being of children.
Mindfulness isn’t just a fad. Rather, it’s a well-studied practice that has been shown to have sweeping impacts on the mental, physical and emotional health of people across all ages.
When it comes to children specifically, mindfulness has been shown to:
- Improve sleep quality.
- Improve self-esteem.
- Reduce stress levels, anxiety and bad behavior.
- Increase self-awareness and empathy.
- Regularly engaging in mindfulness practices can be good for the brain.
Aside from the health impacts of mindfulness, it’s also been shown that such practices can help develop the minds of young children. A study conducted by Exeter University in England showed that mindfulness helped kids:
- Have a longer attention span.
- Increase their innovative thinking.
- Better organize their thoughts.
- Increase their planning, problem solving and reasoning skills.
- Better filter out distractions.
- It instills necessary life skills.
Mindfulness practices help teach children self-regulation (the ability to manage emotions and behaviors). By regularly engaging in practices that allow them to manage and regulate their emotional responses, you’re forming the building blocks for social skills that will be crucial for years to come.
Want to learn more about mindfulness and the best practices for engaging in it with your child? Gain access to both of our Mindfulness with Children courses (and over 50 others) by signing up for a free trial today!