How to meditate with your children

As we make our way towards being comfortable in the new normal, one skill well worth teaching our children is meditation. In times of upheaval and uncertainty being able to calm themselves, clear their minds, and meditate can be of great use to them. But how does one teach children meditation when children are difficult?

The best way to teach a child (or anyone for that matter) meditation is to ease them through it, doing small tasks at a time.  Try doing the following:

1. Watch the clouds and stars

A fun and calming activity, you and your child can have fun making shapes out of clouds and stars. The time away from screens and technology is a good step towards better connecting with each other and a good first step towards your child’s connection with himself or herself. Their imaginations can show you a lot about who they are, and they will learn about themselves too.

2. Teach them to float

Swim time is something all children enjoy, but did you know that swimming is a great tool for teaching kids meditation? By teaching your child how to keep quiet and float you teach them the balance of concentration and relaxation needed for meditation. Most children will initially be afraid of lying on their back in water, so ease your child into it. You can keep your hand on your child’s back to assure them of your presence until they are more comfortable.

3. Watch fire

Being near natural elements is one way to begin meditation. If you can, build a small bonfire in your garden. If that isn’t allowed or doable, light some candles and encourage your child to watch the flickering light. It can fascinate them and keep them quiet, and for early meditators being able to stay quiet is the most important first step.

4. Listen to water

Much like watching fire, listening to water is very calming and can help jumpstart meditation. Staying by the sea, for example, and listening to the waves is very calming and meditative. If the ocean isn’t accessible, find a fountain that your child can listen to and stay quiet beside, and if that too isn’t accessible, try running a bath or having a very quiet bath time.

5. Do a puzzle

Puzzles often require a lot of quiet and concentration, which is ideal for teaching meditation. Start with simpler puzzles and then work your way to harder ones. As they get used to the task and you take on harder puzzles, you can stretch out both the time and the frequency of how you do them.

It is a good idea to consider these different methods as steps.  You know your child best, which means you’ll know which activity would be the best to start.  Work your way towards the more difficult ones until you can do a guided meditation together–one more traditional.  The variations of the tasks will help ensure that your child won’t bore of the activity, and you can mix them up to get them used to the quiet time.  Once you have gotten to guided meditations, keep in mind that most children can only meditate for about one minute for each year of their age.  A five year old can meditate for five minutes, a seven year old for seven minutes, and so forth.  There are some great guided meditation apps, many of which have a children’s option as well.