Mindfulness Strategies for Kids

Jayden's Bad Day

• Jayden starts his day by rushing to catch a bus and experiences a negative encounter on the bus.
• He steps in a puddle, gets his shoes and socks wet, and forgets his homework at home.
• He finds himself in a stressful classroom environment.
• While in class, he struggles to concentrate due to his negative experiences, resulting in a frustrating situation where he is called upon by the teacher and is unable to answer the question.
• This leads to an outburst where he slams his fist on the desk and shouts.
• He feels out of control, upset, and embarrassed.

Mindfulness

• Mrs. Ford, with the intention of helping Jayden cope, presents him with a mindfulness metaphor.
• She uses a jar filled with water and glitter to represent Jayden's mind and his overwhelming thoughts.
• The act of shaking the jar with glitter simulates the whirlwind of thoughts and feelings running through his mind.
• Mrs. Ford encourages Jayden to focus on the glitter and his breathing to slow down his thoughts and emotions.
• As he focuses, he experiences a calmer state, notices his thoughts slowing down, and feels less bothered by the negative events.
• Mrs. Ford introduces mindfulness as a technique to help Jayden and his classmates pay attention to the present moment, not dwelling on past events or worrying about future ones.
• She teaches him to focus on his breath as a mindfulness practice.

Mindfulness in the Classroom

• Mrs. Ford explains that practicing mindfulness can help manage distracting thoughts and feelings.
• Mindfulness activities are introduced in the classroom, including focusing on breathing, the mindfulness jar, Sun Salutations, lazy 8 breathing, and awareness games.
• After practicing mindfulness for three weeks, the students experience positive changes in their behavior.
• They seem calmer, more caring towards one another, and more focused.
• They find it easier to ignore distractions and react less impulsively when negative events occur.
• Jayden now pauses, takes deep breaths, and reminds himself that things will be okay.

Explore how mindfulness techniques can help children like Jayden cope with stress and emotional upheaval. This quiz covers the metaphor of the glitter jar and practical breathing exercises that can assist in calming overwhelming thoughts. Discover strategies to promote emotional regulation in challenging situations.