3 Reasons for Toddlers to Practice Mindfulness

Oh toddlers...

Full of emotions, having a tantrum or a meltdown. It happens. No matter your parenting style. The tantrums and meltdowns happen, and happen frequently. As our little ones start to become more aware with their surroundings, they also begin to have more opinions and confusion when their opinions don't add up to the rest of the world around them.

As parents, our job is to help our little ones learn how to not only understand their big emotions when they happen but also how to deal with them. So when we were connected with Zafooz, a mindfulness company for littles, I was super excited. Through receiving our Zafooz cushions, I have learned even more about mindfulness and why it is so important for our little ones to learn. So here's three reasons for toddlers to practice mindfulness.

Thank you, Zafooz, for sponsoring this post, 3 Reasons for Toddlers to Practice Mindfulness. I was selected for this opportunity by Zafooz with collaboration of Moms Meet; the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. I'm also not a doctor nor an expert on emotional health. These are just my experiences. Please refer to your doctor if you have any serious concerns about your little ones emotions or dealing with emotions.

Thrive in Stressful Situations.

Mindfulness practices help to relieve pressures as our little ones develop and life grows more challenging. I hate to think about it, but as Ollie and Lillie grow older, peer pressures and home and school pressure can be very stressful on young people. For many children, mindfulness practices may offer relief in difficult times when it comes to frustrating situations from toy sharing or even bullying. Giving them a sense of peace in the present moment instead of worry.

Happier Foundation.

Our little ones' minds are flexible. Many studies reveal children who practice mindfulness techniques are actually much happier kids overall. That's huge. Mindfulness helps kids develop the capacity to cultivate calm in troubling times. We often teach Ollie to slow down his thoughts and emotions when he gets upset, which allows him to think about better options to respond to anger or frustration. No one is perfect, yet once little ones understand the techniques they are quick to resort to using their breath or breathing practices when they feel stressed or overwhelmed with emotions. It is super important to plant seeds of mindfulness early sets the strong foundation for kids to respond to their lives in a happier, more mindful way.

Improves Brain Function.

Mindfulness can empower the overactive child to calm themselves in difficult situations. Mindfulness has been proven to promote positive traits in parts of the brain controlled by the prefrontal cortex. Especially since Lillie is at risk of not being able to handle stressful situations as easy with her brain abnormality (ACC), we want to help her develop and solidify these skills early and enough to help avoid social or anger therapy later. Focusing on cognitive control, reasoning, and attention to their emotion can decrease anxiety, which has a positive impact on developing the skills of self regulation. Mindfulness when practiced routinely has shown to reduce hyperactive behaviors and improve concentration as well!

So how do I teach Mindfulness?

Well, Zafooz makes it easy to learn even if you don't know anything about it.

Learning and planting seeds of mindfulness can take place anywhere and anytime with the right resources, but if you are unfamiliar with it, Zafooz provides adorable cushions and adult instructions to help you along the way.

The Zafooz cushions are a great way to introduce simple mindfulness practices to your little ones. By combining the concept of a standard meditation cushion called a zafu with peaceful plush animals, the Zafooz cushion evolved into a fun and functional mindful seat. It’s a cushion and breathing buddy all in one! They can be a safe place for a child to learn how to be mindful , and begin the conversation with you and your littles by tapping into the social and emotional skills needed for them to live a well balanced life. They come in all different animal characters and Ollie and Lillie are in love with their Lotus Ladybug and Mindful Monkey.

Looking to snag a Zafooz for your little one?! Save 15% on your zafooz.com/shop purchase by using the promo code breatheBhappy. Valid until July 22, 2019.

Zafooz also provides a guide script for using your Zafooz or for introducing and practicing mindful breathing practices. They furthermore provide exercises for parents to help little ones learn how to deal with uncomfortable feelings, as well teaching a little older ones how to recognize stress in their bodies as their emotions begin to build through learning how to do body scans.

We additionally love reading books in our house! Here are a few that Zafooz suggests to get a kick start as you wait to receive your own Zafooz! Check out these books below and then head on over to Zafooz to snag your little one a Zafooz cushion and start practicing mindfulness today!