How To Have Calmer Kids

Before you had kids you swore you would keep your cool, but if your little rugrat screams at you ONE MORE TIME.........

If your kid is quiet and reserved, congratulations. Mine certainly is not. I felt compelled to do the research on how to most effectively calm your kids, especially since punishment only seemed to make it worse.

There are countless classic methods for curbing temper tantrums like ignoring, time out, etc. However, nothing is as effective as starting a meditation routine with your child early. It's a common misconception that kids can't meditate. The trick is to put meditation in their own language. Here is a full how-to:

  1. Establish a routine. Perhaps every night you will meditate for 5-10 minutes. Set a timer.
  2. Tell them every night you will play a game of pretending to be still and majestic like a mountain
  3. Have them sit in a comfortable posture, relax, close their eyes, and pretend the winds are coming to the mountain. They can play this out by deep breathing. The breathe is the wind.
  4. Tell them to keep concentrating on this wind 
  5. Tell them if another thought comes to the mountain, go back to the wind. Check in often.
  6. Be creative. If you want to add other elements to the story, such as the sun shining on the mountain or the flowers blooming and absorbing the sun, add it!
  7. Congratulations. Your kid might be almost asleep by the time you are done.
  8. If you cant be bothered meditating with your kids just go to YouTube and search "kids meditation"

Curbing temper tantrums is just a small part of the benefits of meditation for kids! 

A number of studies in school settings also show improved attention and behavior. Some research has shown benefits for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, school performance, sleep, behavior problems, and eating disorders. For example, a trial of 300 low-income, minority urban middle-schoolers using school-based mindfulness instruction led to improved psychological functioning and lower levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. 

There are also physical benefits as it calms the nervous system and decreases stress hormones. Studies have shown benefits for gastrointestinal symptoms, obesity, headaches, high blood pressure, pain sensitivity, and immune function.