In this column, Mercer Island Youth and Family Services staff answer community questions, offer advice and provide resources.
Dear YFS,
My child came home from school telling me that she is learning “mindfulness.” Will this really help them academically and is it a good use of their time? What are the benefits for the children?
WF, 2nd Grade Mother
Dear WF,
Elementary school students are being taught mindfulness to help them focus their attention in school and to help them take advantage of their learning environment. Mindfulness is another tool for calming oneself down and focusing, similar to taking a time-out or resting for a bit.
School educators and counselors are teaching students to calm their bodies and their brains by paying attention to their physical and emotional state of being. They are taught to intentionally focus on their “Puppy Brain” (a child’s term for a distracted mind). To do this, students are coached to stop all movement, breathe in deeply through their nose and out through the mouth and focus on calming thoughts like billowy clouds or soft, fluffy blankets.
Settling one’s mind and body enables students to regulate their own behavior, rather than need teacher intervention. This is particularly helpful in the school setting where there are many distractions, including academic or social pressure, competition and, at times, other students’ negative behavior. Any one of these dynamics can act as a trigger to distract. Mindfulness slows students down, stopping the flow of cortisol rushing in their brain and allows them to think before they react.
Students practicing mindfulness report feeling more in control of their actions and calmer. Parents and teachers are noticing these outcomes as well and I have heard appreciation for an approach that allows a child to self-regulate.
This skill not only helps avoid unnecessary negative consequences in the classroom, but can be generalized to the home and also the teenage years when pressures increase. Focused students, who more often think before they act, also benefit in the classroom and larger school environment.
Students can practice mindfulness anywhere there is chaos, loudness or distraction. One student reported to his counselor using mindfulness at the doctor’s office to prepare for the discomfort of a shot.
Currently Island Park and Northwood Elementary are the only schools to have systematically integrated mindfulness as part of the school plan for social-emotional education.
There, students receive 16 weeks of mindfulness lessons; one lesson per week for 15 minutes. School administrators, physical education instructors and library staff reinforce mindfulness in real time throughout the week.
At Island Park Elementary, the YFS mental health counselor teaches mindfulness and all teachers and counselors have also received training.
There are emotional and physical health benefits of practicing mindfulness at any age. The elementary level teaching and practice has been very well received by professionals, parents and students in communities throughout the U.S. Please connect with the YFS counselor at your child’s school for more information.
Best, Cindy
The advice offered by YFS is intended for informational purposes only and to guide you in seeking further resources if needed. The answers to questions are not intended to replace or substitute for any professional, psychological, financial, medical, legal, or other professional advice. If you have a question you would like Cindy to answer in this column, or if you need additional professional resources, email miyfs@mercergov.org.
