When Teaching Mindfulness, Remember Your "Little" Audience

Rita Benn reflects that when we teach about mindfulness to young children, it is helpful to remember the level of their thinking process, and how much they're grappling to understand their own minds and gain clarity.

I was reminded of this from a recent interaction I had with my four-year-old ​granddaughter, Alice. We were driving in the car when I spotted a person riding his bike in the snowy, 20 degree weather. I commented to her about how brave he was to be riding outside in the cold.

“Would you like to ride your bike in the snow and cold?” I asked.
She responded after a minute, “Well, I would like to practice riding my bike to get better. I don’t want to do it in the snow. It is too cold in the garage. Bubby, my thoughts are mixed up”.

“You are confused,” I commented.
​“My thoughts are all mixed up. I can’t put my hands inside my head to separate them.”

This concrete perspective while developmentally appropriate, posed a dilemma for her. At times where there is a cognitive dilemma, if at home or in the classroom, it is most helpful to use language of physical  objects or activities in your explanations. And perhaps as important, is to both inwardly and outwardly affirm and relish the emergence of their growing sense of self.