Getting back to school or NOT getting to go back to school - during the pandemic - can be a real trip down anxiety lane. Kids are feeling strained and parents don’t have any really “good” choices. Time for a little confidence booster! Will my friends at school remember me? If I’m not there in person, can I ever get back? And what will Virtual school be like?
Time to dial up the courage and harness some renewed spunk; Designed for kids aged 6-12
Creator and leading mindfulness expert Jeff Warren gives kids the ultimate, fun-filled confidence booster during this whacky, amusing (they’ll be grinning-from-ear-to-ear) Creative Mind Journey…
Do school bullies have you feeling upset? Or maybe you're worried about a big class presentation, or are generally feeling quite shy? Not to worry - all this is perfectly normal. Fortunately, you have inside you a magical and sparkling Can of Delight! In this hilarious adventure, we explore how to give ourselves a fun boost of energy and confidence right when we most need it. We hope it will help you care less about what others think, stand up to your fears, and maybe even poke a little fun at yourself along the way.
This story helps build: confidence, fortitude, emotional resilience, and the ability to laugh at one's fears and insecurities.
INVITATION - WORK THIS JOURNEY INTO NEXT WEEK’S SCHOOL/HOME-SCHOOL ROUTINE:
We invite you to enter the Imaginarium and cue up this 11 minute Creative Mind Journey right before the school day starts! Kids should ideally be munching on cereal or packing a bag…. no quiet space necessary! This story is all about revving up and getting in touch with the parts of ourselves that can handle anything - new, old, boring, scary, downright weird. When it’s over, kid’s say - I’ve got this!
Mindfulness for Kids
The developing mind and heart of a young child is very distinct from that of an adult. As much as we adults feel the stress of exposure to violent media, worries about chronic and complex human challenges like climate change or the pandemic, lack of connection to nature, and a general sense of being rushed, developing minds are all the more sensitive to these stressors. As a parent or teacher, you are well aware of the gifts children bring into the world, they see things with fresh eyes, open hearts, and with an innocence we watch in awe. Even adolescents, as their world expands to include the larger human community, possess a unique sensitivity and passion for the state of the world. This greater openness means that all of the stresses of modern life are actually impacting kids in a much stronger way. Because of this, we need to nourish their developing hearts and minds with moments of stillness, quiet and calm.
Mindfulness can become a refuge for kids, a quiet place to return to in all the rush of the outside world, a steady place to stand in all the change and hard work of growing up.
Mindfulness practice can be applied to many different home and educational settings. Mindfulness has been used with at risk youth, youth with ADHD, autism, fetal alcohol syndrome, behavioural challenges, and developmentaldisabilities. The benefits of mindfulness practice can be quite palpable for any young person dealing with greater challenges.
Research has shown that regular, formal mindfulness practice develops the pre-frontal cortex of the brain and positively impacts functions such as regulating emotions, decision making and empathy.
Mindfulness is a wonderful empowerment tool for youth dealing with big life challenges. Mindfulness increases resilience, flexibility, and cultivates greater compassionate attunement towards oneself, which can often be missing development for high needs kids.
(Mindfulness for Kids - Adapted from Calm.com)