Posts tagged: Mindfulness

Helping Kids Find Their Anchors

My uncle took me fishing on his boat for my tenth birthday. Partway through the trip, his line snagged something and…

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Activating Social-Emotional Learning Skills

The beginning of a new school year is marked with excitement and anxiety. It’s a transition point, which requires…

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Creating a Calming Corner

December can be an overwhelming month for kids. Seasonal changes prompt a shift in clothing and outdoor activities.…

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Kindness Trees

“No, no, no!” said the preschool teacher as she rushed over to a child threatening to hit a playmate. “It’s not…

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Practicing Calm

When my kids were little, getting everyone out of the house on time without tears or tantrums was a daily challenge.…

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Helping Children Find Their Anchors

As we were preparing to move from one state to another, my four year old fell apart. “Where’s my train, my bunny,…

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Easter as Spring Celebration

Eggs hidden on windowsills or in the grass. Baskets filled with chocolate bunnies and jelly beans. Pots of tulips,…

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Shifting Bad Habits to Good Practices

When I was a child, I bit my nails. It was a reflexive action whenever I felt stressed or anxious. I don’t really…

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Exploring Emotion with Crying is Like the Rain

Children’s feelings can shift and change rapidly. One minute a toddler is happily playing and the next they’re…

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Celebrating Kwanzaa with Children

Seven candles stand tall in a kinara, ready for lighting. Their number and colors (red, black, and green) suggest this…

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Sit Spots

Now that school is back in session, children have much less time to spend outdoors. Pressure to prepare kids for…

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Starters That Support Well-Being

“Can’t I just be 10 minutes late?” pleaded my daughter. We were driving to her Brownie troop meeting and I could…

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Exercising Attention

It’s the usual afterschool chaos in my house. Classic rock plays loudly and all three kids are gyrating in an…

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Reading Simon and the Big, Bad, Angry Beasts

Disney’s popular movie, Turning Red, has called attention to how children struggle with big emotions, especially…

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Taking Flight with The Year We Learned to Fly

Cultural and spiritual heritages are often passed on to new generations through stories and teachings by elders.…

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Mindful Art

Self-awareness and emotional regulation are spiritual skills that every child needs. Research shows that art activities…

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Mindful Nature Walks

I do a lot of walking. I sometimes walk from my house to my office two blocks away. I pace while talking on the phone…

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Finding Our Calm

When my middle child was in third grade, she was very anxious about taking tests. Her stomach would hurt and she would…

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Neuroscience and Learning

Have you ever heard (or said) that spirituality is ‘caught, not taught’? While it’s true that good models and…

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Digital Spirituality with Young Children

A friend posts a snapshot of her three year old daughter on social media. Sonia* has her head bent over her mom’s…

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Creating a Mindfulness Space

Mindfulness practices help children to become more self-aware. When they spend time being present with themselves, they…

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Strengthening Connections

“I forgot my mask” yelled my daughter as she ran home from the bus stop, then back out again, mask in hand. Going…

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Coloring as a Mindfulness Practice

As children return to in-person gatherings, they may feel anxious and stressed.  An art-based mindfulness practice can…

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Managing Big Emotions with Mindfulness

When my children were little and dealing with sibling arguments, I taught them a quick mindfulness practice to help…

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Guided Play

When it comes to educating young children, we’ve all heard that play is an important part of learning. And yet, when…

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Focused Attention

Mindfulness is all the rage these days, and rightly so. When children take a few moments to focus their attention, they…

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