Conscious Awareness in Children

Babies are born hungry and tired. Toddlers struggle with language skills and self-control. And life gets even more complicated when kids reach puberty. Building and developing relationships, adapting to school and struggling for independence – growing up itself naturally creates stressful situations for every child. Therefore, awareness at every developmental stage; It can be a useful tool for reducing anxiety and increasing happiness. Mindfulness, a technique that emphasizes paying attention to the present moment in a non-judgmental way, has emerged as a popular mainstream in recent years. It can be said that children are the most suitable group to benefit from awareness activities. Habits acquired early in life shape behavior in adulthood. If they are adults, carefully to children; they have the opportunity to inculcate the habit of being peaceful, kind and accepting.
Mindfulness activities can benefit children in overcoming the difficulties they may encounter in life. It also gives them the opportunity to feel the beauty of being in the present. One reason why mindfulness is so effective for children can be explained by brain development. While our brains are constantly developing throughout our lives, connections in the prefrontal circuits are formed most rapidly during childhood. Mindfulness, which supports skills controlled by the prefrontal cortex, such as focus and cognitive control, therefore has a special impact on the development of skills such as self-regulation, judgment, and patience during childhood. Awareness is not something that can be outsourced.
Having parents and caregivers do mindfulness exercises themselves is the best way to teach a child mindfulness. Breathing exercises, the paths he takes on his way to and from a place, the colors he sees around, the sounds he hears, the taste of the food he eats are among the practices of mindfulness. While doing all these studies, it is very important to focus on emotions and to support the child's recognition and acceptance of emotions. Of course, being a parent can be experienced as a stressful experience from time to time. For those who are raising children, doing mindfulness exercises; Doing mindfulness meditation, ideally for a few minutes a day, allows caregivers not only to share happiness and acceptance skills with new generations, but also to better communicate with themselves.

Lecturer Kamala KHALINBAYLI