Off-screen Tips & Mindful Activities for Your Child’s Daily Schedule

The pandemic has been difficult for all, period. Remote education has proved to be taxing for both parents and teachers, but while we whine about our worries, we tend to forget that our little ones just witnessed a drastic change in life too! And like you and I, they have their complaints about it.

On the surface of it, intellectual development may be your foremost reason for concern. But that’s not it, closure of schools and separation from friends causes stress and anxiety in children, and they don’t communicate their feelings like us. Younger children may show regressing behaviours, demand more attention, or face troubles in sleeping; others may feel frustrated, nervous, and disconnected.

How will practicing yoga help?

Yoga, contrary to popular belief, is more than just exercising; through fun and mindful activities, it teaches children to recognize their emotions and express them in a healthy way, training them to act thoughtfully rather than impulsively. Physically, it improves flexibility, strength, balance, and cardiovascular health, and mentally, it hones cognitive skills, including concentration and memory.

Here are some tips on practicing mindful activities during the day:

Breathing Awareness: Much like us, our children also experience shortness of breath when worried, anxious, or even excited! By asking them to breathe deeply in between day-to-day tasks we can inculcate the habit of mindful breathing in them.

Start Small: Too much at once of anything new is never appreciated. Yoga must be practiced as a fun activity at all times; begin with a 5-minute routine and gradually practice longer with your little one.

Light-hearted & Engaging: Let your child lead you; incorporate their favourite show/ character in your practice. Since yoga is all about experiencing the internal through the external, you must help your child visualize, and with their limitless imagination, your creativity has no boundaries.

Maintain a Journal: Encourage your child to maintain a month’s journal only to reflect back and have gratitude for the good things that happened, and applaud their deeds of kindness and honesty.

The following is an example of a day’s routine:

• Kickstart the day by encouraging your child to stretch on the bed, followed by paying gratitude to Mother Earth by bending down to touch the floor.
• You could turn the morning frown upside down by incorporating fun activities while brushing, such as balancing on one leg!
• Bowel cleaning doesn’t have to be boring! Children can use this time to rotate their eyes or shoulders.
• Next, while dressing up for the day, their minds should be groomed as well! Encourage children to stand tall in front of the mirror and say a few affirmations, like “I am strong,” “I am blessed,” or “I can do anything.”
• As you hustle about the day, make sure to set reminders for you and your little one to drink water, and stretch your body. Very often we get swayed by the tasks of the day and don’t pay much heed to imperative matters, including posture correction.
• In the evening, you could play games together like not using negative words, including ‘don’t’ and ‘no!’ At dinner, to refine balance, you could encourage them to use their non-dominant hand to pass the cutlery.
• At night, make it a habit to recap the day with your child, and chant ‘Om’ at least five times for a peaceful sleep.

To sum up, benefits and consistency go hand in hand in Yoga; a daily experience is important to enjoy its fruit. We hope each second of practicing it with your little one is full of laughter and giggles!