Teach them strategies…

Children need to be taught mindfulness strategies. The brain has a natural pathway toward negativity based on its evolution. Mindfulness is about awareness and retraining the brain. I like to call it, "Thinking about your thinking and learning to outsmart your brain." Another way to think about mindfulness is putting space between sensory information coming in and your reaction to it.

Here’s a sample Mini Mindful Activity from The M.Y. Time Program:

Mind Movies - Think of a person(s) you know. Remember a great moment/experience you had with this person. Play it back like a movie in your mind and smile. This particular exercise would sequence nicely before you settle in for silent resting at the end of a lesson.

The M.Y. Time Program is bursting with fun mindfulness activities to explore this concept in different ways. Children benefit most when skills are taught as a daily integration. Repeated exposure is where mastery takes place. AND, the added bonus is that it will be carried into their everyday lives.