
Mindful Adults, Mindful Kids:
Planting Seeds in the Garden of Well-Being
Just one breath with awareness can transform any moment.
Giving kids and teens the gift of mindfulness is like planting seeds in a garden. Pause, breathe, notice, return – these are quiet actions that cultivate conditions for growth and well-being.
Mindfulness starts with us and our own practices. Whatever our role in kids’ lives – parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, healthcare professionals – mindfulness creates space for well-being and compassion, and is a model for young people.
Mindfulness is a robust topic of scientific inquiry. Strong evidence links mindfulness with positive emotion, enhanced life satisfaction, compassion, and overall wellbeing. Mindfulness practice can help reduce risk for illness and stimulate physical and emotional health (Goleman and Davidson, 2017; Willard, 2016).
Psychologist Lea Waters offers several benefits of mindful parenting (2017). Gains can include improved parenting in the moment; modeling effective ways to deal with relational conflicts and stressful situations; and mindful parents coaching their kids to become more mindful.