Apps like DreamyKid offer free meditation programs for children to get started and a subscription if they want to keep going.
If anything, the last two and a half years have taught us that children’s mental health is fragile. It needs the love and tools that their guardians know will help them grow into happy and healthy lives. Thankfully, we have learned in the last fifteen years that one of the easiest ways to teach and instill mental wellness in kids aged 3 to 18 is through meditation. And while the thought of trying to get a child to sit still for three to five minutes may seem daunting, there are ways to get them to love the practice and make it their own.
For younger children, guided visualization is a wonderful way to get them started on their meditation journey. Many apps like DreamyKid offer free programs to get started and a subscription if they want to keep going. The categories cover most situations that children will go through while they start their practice. The way that we like to introduce meditation is to play one of the programs as the child falls asleep. The subconscious is still listening as they drift off into slumber, but at the beginning of the meditation, when they’re still awake, gently teaching breathing techniques to bring their heart rate down and regulate their nervous system. We see that children start to incorporate these breathing techniques in their everyday lives, such as when they get frustrated, scared, or angry.
Another way that DreamyKid is being used to teach kids how to meditate is through classroom practice, where the teacher plays the app from their device or through the school program on the website at dreamykid.com. They can filter through the many categories, which include: everyday meditations, issue-based meditations (like ADD, ADHD, and anger), sleep stories and meditations, guided journeys (which are amazing for teens), affirmations, and healing activities (where they move their bodies).
But why? The benefits are vast and still being studied, and what we know it provides so far is:
Increased concentration
Extended attention span
Reduced stress
Reduced anxiety
Stronger mental elasticity
Improved emotional standards
Increased self-awareness
Increased empathy
Better grades
Improved sleep
Children need to start slowly, and meditating just five minutes a day is all they need to begin experiencing the benefits of this ancient practice. For example, bring in the breathing techniques and watch how the emotional outburst dissipates when the child is angry. It’s important to keep practicing, as it will soon become a standard way to regulate their feelings in all situations. We, as elders, need to show them how to live life with purpose through stillness because it’s in the stillness that their young minds will find better ways to approach situations. Meditation is the easiest way to show children the path to a happier and healthier way of life while giving them robust tools to use no matter what life throws at them.
