Interested in learning about meditation for kids? Below you'll find tips for how to get started with mediation, as well as ideas for how to create a family meditation routine.
We recently started a family meditation routine.
Despite a hilarious and rocky start, we have all benefited from it in some way, shape, or form. And there are certainly lots of benefits to meditation for kids.
Oddly enough, just days after starting our new family meditation routine, a reader messaged me asking for my opinions on meditation for kids. I hadn't shared about our new routine anywhere so the timing was crazy!
Well, a few more weeks have passed and we're still doing our nightly meditations. I personally look forward to them every evening as a way to connect and slow down for the night.
Want to get started with meditation for kids?
Here are my top tips for how to create a family meditation routine and get started with meditation for kids.
Tips for Introducing Meditation to Your Kids & Creating a Family Mediation Routine
1. Meditate together as a family
Role modeling is a great way to teach your kids pretty much anything and all members of the family can benefit from meditation. So why not turn it into a family activity? It's a great way to find time to bond and connect, especially when everyone's lives are so busy with work, school, and extracurricular activities.2. Set aside a specific time to meditate every day
We started implementing meditation into our bedtime routine as a way to help calm and slow the kids down before it was time to sleep. That means, after the kids have put on their pajamas, brushed their teeth, flossed, and peed (that last one is super important!), we do our family meditation ritual. It has quickly become a great transition tool for our family.However, you might find that it easier to incorporate meditation into your morning routine. Or maybe you want to do it once a week, say every Sunday. Do whatever makes sense for your family.
Whatever time you pick, stick to it. Make it a predictable part of your daily, or weekly, routine.
3. Start small with short meditations
Little kids may find it difficult to sit still for long periods of time. Some adults may struggle with this too so start small.Opt to start with short meditations that are around five minutes in length or shorter. I find they are the perfect length to start with.
Plus, even if you are busy, I think we can agree that even the busiest of people can find five minutes to spare.
As everyone becomes more comfortable with meditating, you can gradually start to increase the length of time you spend meditating, but for now, start small.
4. Use kid-friendly meditations
This tip may seem super obvious, but I'm still going to say it: be sure to pick kid-friendly meditations.There are tons on YouTube and in meditation apps that are geared towards children. They are naturally shorter in length, but they also focus more on imagery that kids can relate to and/or find exciting.
I suggest starting off by picking one of these guided meditation videos on YouTube to try.
5. Set the mood and tone for your meditation time and pick a meditation to match
The mood and tone of your meditation time ultimately depends on what time you selected.If you picked to do a meditation before bed, then dim the lights and select a meditation that is meant for sleep time or is calming.
If you selected to do a meditation in the morning before breakfast, then it might more sense to pick a meditation that is energizing, designed to inspire you to tackle the day.
Essentially, you want to pick a meditation that matches what you are seeking to find: calm, energy, relaxation, sleep, confidence boosting, etc.
6. Remove all possible distractions - and pets!
Make sure everyone has gone to the bathroom before starting your meditation routine (trust me!) and remove all pets from the room (again, trust me on this!).The idea behind meditation is to focus, reflect, and be mindful. A cat walking into the room, meowing at the top of his little lungs, is enough to shift your attention away from the act of meditating and break your concentration.
So before you start, remove all possible distractions.
7. Make sure everyone has enough space to be comfortable
Some meditations might encourage you to lie down so make sure you have ample space to do so.Also, if you are meditating as a family with multiple children, then make sure there's enough space between each family member. You don't want anyone to be able to touch someone else and disturb them. Again, speaking from experience here...
8. Be open-minded
You might think meditating is a silly idea. I did too. Yep, I was a bit hesitant to start meditating and thought my husband would laugh at my suggestion of attempting a family meditation routine.You might feel silly doing it at first, but that's why we practice.
And honestly, you don't know if something will be a good tool for yourself - or your children - until you give it a try. So give it a fair chance before dismissing it completely.
I admit that I was skeptical initially too, but yet, here I am writing about it now.
Other Meditation Resources You'll Love
The Benefits of Meditation for Kids5 Deep Breathing Techniques
Free Visual Calm Down Cards for Kids
