Child's Mind: Mindfulness Practices to Help Our Children Be More Focused, Calm, and Relaxed

by Christopher Willard

Full of simple mindfulness and meditation exercises for kids, this guide is “a wonderful reminder that every young person is capable of great understanding, compassion, and joy” (Thich Nhat Hanh)
 
The interest in teaching children meditation is growing rapidly, as a number of recent stories in the mainstream media have documented, including NPR, The New York Times , and London Telegraph .  Child's Mind  aims to teach parents and child professionals how to integrate mindfulness into their work with children, and teach children and adolescents basics of mindfulness and meditation. Willard’s intention is to help parents pass on to their children the practices of mindfulness that they have found valuable for themselves. The book can also be a resource for those who work with children, whether it is family and children coordinators at retreat centers, religious instructors from a range of traditions, or teachers, therapists, and even medical professionals. 
 
Child's Mind  aims to teach children the power that comes with the comfort of just being, and the capacity to be, be aware, and be comfortable with yourself.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Psychology, Childrens, Meditation

135 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2010

About the author

CHRISTOPHER WILLARD, PSYD, is a clinical psychologist and consultant specializing in bringing mindfulness into education and psychotherapy. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, teaches at Harvard Medical School, and leads workshops worldwide. For more, visit drchristopherwillard.com.

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of short exercises to do with children, ranging from a simple conversation about where a raisin comes from, to serious visualization and relaxation sessions. The author clearly has experience with kids and is realistic about getting them to do things. My 10-year old daughter was very open to trying things in the book; some she enjoyed, some not as much. (The idea of her body evaporating into the air didn't sit well). My 7-year old boy had trouble with visualization, and his breathing attempts often ended in giggles, but I think he still got the general idea. Rather than using paper "boats" for the belly breathing, we borrowed an idea from YogaKids and used a rubber duck instead, which they loved.
There are so many general parenting books out there, it's refreshing to read one that does a thorough job in one specific area. With all of the pressures schools are applying to kids at younger and younger ages, this seems like something that is truly needed.

[Steve Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world where we live in a society that values disconnection and ego driven desire above all things this book is a treasure. It offers ways for those of us who are interested in finding our way along a Buddhist path (usually because of our frustration and disappointment with the life our own society has offered) to communicate the experience truth of the Buddha's teachings to those most valuable human beings, children. As I have made my own way down this astonishing path I have often wondered what a difference would have been made to my life had I been taught the practices that I have come to learn as ways of unlearning what my society put into me./ Here Willard gives a large number of meditations, exercises and games to help children feed and maintain their sense of connection with themselves and the world around them, their Tao, and to see the relative nature of societies values and conventions for the tools that they really are. Here are the tools by which children can be fortified against falling into the entrapment that is constantly being put to them as the way to be successful human beings; an entrapment that truly offers only emptiness and despair or the constant struggle to fuel the delusion that it's all real. This is a book that every primary school teacher, every child therapist and counselor and every parent should be using until it's ragged and dog eared. ....for the sake of humanity

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this! I highly recommend it!

[Shannon D'Arpino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although it took me a bit to finish this little book because I missed placed it in a pile somewhere, I found it an amazingly engaging read. I am a mindful practicing individual as well as a teacher of 500 children on the teechniques of mindfulness. I found many of his practices fabulous and creative to offer people who work with kids. I highly recommend this book. It's a great read!

[Sonia Mainstone-Cotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, full of great ideas and practices to use with younger and older children.

[Kyla Belvedere · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book with a lot of useful scripts based on different situations. Maybe geared more to teachers than parents? I say this mainly because of the lesson plan section.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book on mindfulness... pretty well cited (as a grad student I would have liked to seen more) and done in Chicago style so the reader can ignore the citations easily. I would like to try some of the strategies he discussed myself and I'm definitely going to buy this book asap. I would recommend this book to ANYONE of ANY age who is interested in mindfulness and/or meditation.

Overall, very well written and easy to read book... with very easily applied practical strategies.

[Dixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Clear and concise with lots of real life examples and practices that can fit into your life easily as a starting point for further growth while developing your practice. The author is making a change in the world that will be felt for generations.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

my friends rule.

[Marina Riker-kucic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great practical tool for introducing mindfulness to groups with fun and simplicity.

[Amanda Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great exercises to try with kids and well-framed arguments/carefully researched reasons we need to teach mindfulness early.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book for work. Some good advice and techniques on how to be mindful and help students be mindful.