Just Mind It!

Mindfulness or paying attention to the present moment, helps kids focus, regulate emotions, and develop a positive outlook. Here’s how to inculcate this life skill early.

- Prachi S.Vash

“WHY DON’T you pay attention?” is one of the most oft-used phrases by moms for their children. But how many times do you sit down with them and discuss what ‘paying attention’ actually means? Our daily life runs on an autopilot mode. It’s the same for our kids. Consequentially, there is hardly any time for them to focus on what they’re doing. Children become used to eating what is served, going through schoolwork because they are supposed to and so on. But what would it take to raise a kid who is more aware and more tuned-in? That’s where mindfulness comes in to play.

what is mindfulness?

It is a concept related to meditation but quite different. Jon Kabat-Zinn, an American scientist and a student of Buddhist teachings has been the pioneer of the meditative practice of mindfulness, and he defines it as “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally to the unfolding of experiences, moment by moment”. Unlike meditation, that requires one to concentrate on a chant, or thought, mindfulness focusses on just being in the moment and observing the inner happenings without judgement.

ways to pay attention

First things first, you need to practise being mindful yourself before you start teaching mindfulness to your kids. It wouldn’t do if you tell them to stay calm when they are throwing tantrums, when you yourself lose your temper at the drop of a hat

Also, mindfulness is not meditation. So don’t expect your child to attain a saint-like zen state of mind. That’s not the goal. The goal is simply to enable her to be immersed in the present moment and observe everything minutely and neutrally.