By founder of Mind Marvels, Karen Gibb
Home can be a frantic place for families. There is a relief to be felt in a safe, home environment where you can ‘be yourself’, but the mask we all wear in social settings comes off at home. Parents might be concerned that a worried child at home is a statement on their parenting, but we all need time to decompress and focus on ourselves – children and adults!
As children grow older, they will naturally worry more about new experiences and scenarios they face. When children are at home, they are out with the routine and structure of a school environment. For some children this gives them more time to focus on negative thoughts and emotions, which may lead to feeling worried or stressed at home.
The tools you equip your children with today will help them understand that worrying is a natural bodily response to change or things happening in their lives. With a little bit of self-care, children can face these new challenges and feel calmer and more grounded.
In today’s blog, let’s look at five practical techniques for parents to help children feel less worried at home.
10-Second Hug
We know that hugging another person (or cuddly pet/toy) is comforting, it reduces stress while relaxing your body, but have you thought about hugging yourself?
The 10-second hug is a solo hugging technique that helps the body to ease feelings of stress and it’s a simple technique children can do at home at any time.
– Begin by hugging yourself. Squeeze your belly and back simultaneously and hold it for 10 seconds or more to get all of the amazing benefits a hug gives us.
Five-Second Wall Push
Taking a moment to lean against the wall is a good way to do a bit of a brain reset. The five-second wall push technique focuses your child’s brain. This intentional focus tells their brain they are safe, and this will enable them to feel calmer.
– Simply push against the wall with flat palms and feet planted on the floor for 5 to 10 seconds.
-This can be repeated.
Bunny Breaths
Bunny Breaths is a playful breathing technique. It’s great for giving your child focus but also energising them as you move from sitting down to moving around. Bunnies are curious animals, so we can use this in our roleplay to instantly take your child’s mind off their worries.
– Start by sitting. Make bunny hands in front of your chest and breathe in and out quickly. Make quick sniffs just like a bunny!
– Then add movement to your breathing. Start in a squat and hop forward while breathing in and out, giving focus to that bunny breath. Have some fun with this!
Take 5 Breaths
Deep breathing techniques go even further to reduce stress and anxiety. By relaxing the body, it also lowers your heart rate. That feeling of calmness through breathing enables children to regulate their emotions. Your child can choose to take 5 breaths once or several times until they feel calm, by doing the following:
– Stretch your hand out like a star in front of your chest.
– Have your pointer finger ready to trace your fingers up and down.
– As you slide your pointer finger up, breathe in, pause, then breathe out through your mouth as you slide down the other side.
– Keep going until you have finished tracing your hand.
Take A Mindful Minute
Sometimes, so much is happening, especially in a busy household. It’s hard to relax and find the time to be mindful or simply do nothing. A mindful minute, therefore, slots perfectly into busy lives and helps children be present in the moment.
Start by sitting down, take a deep breath and ask these simple questions centred around you and your child’s immediate surroundings:
– What can I hear?
– What can I smell?
– What can I feel?
– What can I see?
– What can I taste?
These five simple techniques – a ten-second hug, five-second wall push, bunny breaths, take 5 breaths and taking a mindful minute, can be used together or individually. In teaching these techniques, children will feel empowered to support their own emotional wellbeing in the knowledge that they have a secure and supportive environment at home.
The founder of Mind Marvels, Karen Gibb, is a qualified teacher who started the children’s wellbeing franchise in 2018. She recognised that children were not given the practical skills to look after their own mental health and wellbeing. While teaching, Karen tried and tested the strategies and techniques used in today’s sessions and she observed a huge increase in children’s confidence, resilience and happiness. We are looking to make a real difference to children’s lives with our Mind Marvels franchise. Find out more here.