How Can I Practice Mindfulness With My Family?

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vp: From the Parent’s Club, I’m Vincent Phamvan. This is our Member’s Questions episode. In each Q&A episode, learn about the most important things you need to know as a parent and how to help your family learn, grow, and thrive.

a: Hey, this is Al from Orlando, Florida. I was part of the New Parent Series and just became a member. Since the pandemic, I’ve been reading lots about the benefits of mindfulness and how important it is. I’m looking to make it a habit and have seen other parents post about how it has helped them. So, I’m wondering how can we practice mindfulness as a family and start our kids young? Thank you!

vp: Thank you for your question and for being a member! This is such a relevant question. With busy schedules, increased screen-time, and less social gathering, the pandemic made practicing mindfulness more important than ever. The benefits of practicing mindfulness include strengthening your relationships, increasing mental well-being for parents and children, and bringing your family closer together. At its core, mindfulness is the ability to focus on being present in the moment. From neuroscience researchers, here are a few ways to effectively practice mindfulness with your family. The most important thing to remember is that mindfulness is a calming technique for both children and adults.

If you are new to practicing mindfulness, set up a 5 minute routine for yourself. For example, this could be a morning or evening seated meditation, words of affirmations, or deep breathing. The key is to focus on all your senses while observing your breath and calm your thoughts. Think of this as a daily workout for your mind, so you’re ready to take on the day. The reason to start with your practicing first is because children, by nature, are born with an innate sense of presence.

During a tantrum, when you’re stressed or upset, the 5 senses exercise is a great way to calm down and be in the moment. This is something the whole family can do together, or each on their own. Focus on what’s around you. Notice and name 5 things you see. Then, notice and name 4 things that you can feel. Use your sense of touch to describe different textures. Name and notice 3 things you hear, two things you smell, and one thing you can taste or imagine. The purpose of this exercise is to become more in tune with your surroundings and the present moment.

Another exercise your family can do together daily is practice appreciation and gratitude. We all want to feel seen and appreciated, and intentionally taking time to express gratitude towards one another strengthens your family bond and puts your mind in a positive place. You can do this anywhere. For example, at the dinner table, everyone can go around and say something they are grateful for or what they appreciate about another family member. Another less structured example is acknowledging small moments of appreciation, like when your kids or partner empties the dishwasher or is ready on time. These small acts of appreciation can shift the culture of the house from demanding and frustrated to cooperative and grateful. Another example could be including mindfulness in your bedtime routine by doing a breathing exercise or listing 3 good things that happened today and how it made you feel.

If you are looking for a more structured approach, there are apps that provide guided practice and that are kid-friendly such as Smiling Mind, Headspace, or The Mindfulness App.

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That’s it for this Q&A episode, I’m Vincent Phamvan. We’ll talk to you again next time.