Book Club for Parents: 10 Mindful Minutes
Updated: Jul 27, 2019
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Each time I start a new camp, class, or workshop at the Play to Grow Studio, I remind the kids of my 3 rules: 1. We are kind and respectful; 2. We are mindful of our thoughts and actions; 3. We are able to try, learn, and create new things! The kids get what kind and respectful are, and with most of them being brand new to aerial yoga they understand that they will be trying new things.
The challenge comes when I ask them to define what mindfulness is. It's become quite the buzzword these days so many of the kids have heard the word but don't necessarily know what it means. Chances are, many of their parents don't have a solid grasp of it either. They certainly weren't teaching it when I was in school!
When I began my journey to learning about mindfulness, I wanted tools that would not only help my son to slow down, but that would help me be more intentional as a parent. One of the most useful books I found was "10 Mindful Minutes: Giving Our Children the Social and Emotional Skills to Lead Smarter, Healthier, and Happier Lives" by Goldie Hawn. (Yes, THAT one!) Goldie Hawn founded the Hawn Foundation, her organization for teaching mindfulness to children. She worked with researchers, scientists, and educators to develop mindfulness programs for elementary and middle school students.
In 10 Mindful Minutes, the author describes the brain science of our emotions and how to share this information with children so they can understand. She shares coping strategies such as breathing techniques for dealing with stress and anxiety. She gives ideas for how to teach concepts like empathy, optimism, and gratitude, as well as how to understand anger, fear, and sadness.
What I really love about this book is that it is easy to read, engaging, and has real, practical action steps. There are games that are great for helping children understand some pretty tough concepts. The book is also available on Audible, if like me, it's hard to find time to sit down and read a book with young kids! Though with this one I really love my paper copy....full of dog eared pages and post its marking ideas for my classes and at home. I may just have to purchase the corresponding journal as I LOVE guided journals for helping to reflect and work through things.
Let me know in the comments if you read the book and how it helped you or your children be more mindful and intentional!