5 Golden Rules for Cultivating a Mindful Classroom & Home

Whether you’re an educator, child specialist, parent, or family member, your goal for your crew is to run like a well oiled machine: seamless transitions where everyone knows what to do, where to go, and how to act. But let’s not forget about our good ole pal reality… the inevitable breakdowns, miscommunications, and straight up chaos are bound to happen and our ideas for perfection rarely happen.

While it’s important for us to be flexible and understand that hey, we all have our days, there are simple and tangible tools we can implement to set us all up for success. How to do it and where to start? Check out these 5 simple steps for creating a more mindful and peaceful space in your classroom or at home.

Create Rituals & Routines
“Children will succeed if they can” is a quote to remind yourself of often. When a child is struggling or facing a challenge at hand, it’s probably not because they’re being straight up defiant, but because they haven’t been given the appropriate tools or strategies to succeed. Rule driven by nature, young children want to succeed and it’s our job to set them up for success. What rituals do you have in your classroom or home that are consistent and predictable? When entering your space, do children know exactly where to put belongings? Do you have picture charts or a set of clear and concise steps to help children break it down? Before meals, what is everyone’s job in the classroom or family? Creating rituals takes continual practice and repetition, and it can be easy to give in when you’re in a rush or trying to transition an entire classroom. But consider it like riding a bicycle - start with training wheels, practice, practice, practice, (and wear a helmet please!) and eventually it will become muscle memory and a smooth ride for all.

Give Children Agency
If our hope is for children to be independent and self-sufficient, it’s never too early to start offering them experiences to practice being in the driver’s seat. Tried and true, having jobs in the classroom or at home offers children a chance to be in control while remaining in a predictable and safe environment. How creative can you get with your jobs? One of our favorites is the job of “peacekeeper” - when children are having a conflict, their initial reaction is to find an adult. But what if they first were encouraged to ask a peer or sibling for help? With some scaffolding and set questions to give the peacekeeper to ask their friends (i.e. “how do you feel?” “what do you need to feel better?”) children can rely on themselves and their peers to resolve conflict. More often than not, a child might just need a simple hug from their friend or a sorry without an adult intervening. When in doubt, always remind a child that you’re there to help and support them, but to try it on their own first. Remind them how strong and capable they really are!

Validate Experiences & Emotions
“That wasn’t so bad was it?!” We’ve all said something of the sort to a child with only the best intentions - so they don’t feel sad, embarrassed, or overwhelmed. However, let’s be careful of diminishing a child’s experience. While falling at recess may not be a big deal to us, from a child’s perspective and scope, it can be totally terrifying. Instead of brushing it aside, we can use positive language to reinforce the experience and be an ally. For example, “That must have been really scary and a big surprise! How are you feeling? What do you need?” This type of language not only affirms the reality of this child’s encounter, but also gives an opportunity for them to express their emotions and share. We’ve all been there when we’ve had enough and all we can muster is a, “stop that!” or “that is not okay!” However when possible, recognizing good behavior and giving positive reinforcement can go a long way. Rather than, “don’t get upset, it’s not a big deal to put on your boots!” try, “I’m noticing how hard you’re working to put your boots on right now. It seems like you’re really frustrated. If you need help I’m here for you.” Celebrating small wins boost self-esteem and provides a model for children who need a little guidance or cheerleading.

Teach Boundaries & Consent
Teaching consent and boundaries can be thought of something we teach to children as they get older, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Setting the expectation that we are all entitled to our bodies, our choices, and to changing our minds starts from a very early age. This can be especially important for diverse learners or for children who have experienced trauma. What does teaching consent look like for young children? Giving options - something as simple as hugging hello or goodbye can be extremely uncomfortable to many children. Asking, “How would you like to say hello or goodbye?” is a simple and appropriate way to remind children that this is their choice. Offering handshakes, high fives, or verbal greetings is a perfect way to cultivate choice. (Check out this instagram video). In our yoga classes, we often encourage children to close their eyes during guided meditations but this is always a choice. “If it’s comfortable for your body, you may close your eyes, but this is a choice.” Set the expectations that if eyes stay open, bodies are still calm and quiet.

Create Safe Spaces
When a child needs to take a breather, is there a designated space they can go in your classroom or home? Being in the midst of an over stimulating environment can exacerbate a child’s emotions, so having an area just for cooling down or being alone can be a game changer. What does your child or children in your classroom need in a space (or zen den, calm corner, the name possibilities are endless!)?

Think 5 senses:

See: Cool, neutral colors and dim or natural lighting can calm the nervous system when a child feels overwhelmed. Avoid primary colors when possible.

Hear: If you have a child or children sensitive to sound, consider noise canceling headphones. Small water fountains or noise machines can be soothing and relaxing.

Touch: Many children respond well to tactile tools such as stress balls to squeeze, playdough, or drawing. Consider pillows or soft cushions to sit on. Smell: Essential oils and aromatherapy can help calm an anxious or worried child: Peppermint, lavender, orange, and ginger are safe and can be effective.

Taste: Dehydration can be the culprit of many breakdowns and offering a cold glass of water and encouraging a child to sip slowly can provide a big, “aaah” moment.

Creating mindful spaces takes dedication, patience, and a team effort but starting with small adjustments can pay off big time in the long run!

Let us know what you think!