Mindfulness at Belmont Playcare

When we are feeling an emotion, we can (with practice as an adult) notice the effect it is having on our body. Remember feeling butterflies in your tummy when you are nervous. Because the body is in the present moment, it can be more manageable to stay with the physical sensations than get carried away by the overwhelming thoughts. In addition, we can get used to showing a kindness towards ourselves by placing a comforting hand on our tight throat, empty chest, or fluttering tummy.

Children can be taught to notice these sensations from an early age and to show some kindness to themselves also. Tears are a sign that sadness is present. A smile that joy is here. And so on. We can learn to be aware of these physical reactions and sometimes they can be an early warning system to look after ourselves. Tight shoulders showing we are tense. If we have been ignoring our bodies for a long time, then this takes practice!!!

Ask your child what can we do to help you feel better when you are going into Preschool?

Make a plan that is achievable and stick to it!! (see below)

Remember that your child may be feeling positive emotions about preschool so you can explore these as well. I can see that you are happy and excited, you are smiling and jumping about!!

It might be you who needs to take care of yourself, if it is you who is feeling anxious, sad, scared etc

What to bring:

Comfort object if you think that is necessary.

A good way to calm down nervous feelings is to take deep breaths deep down into the lower part of the lungs. You can practise this with your child using the balloon breath described below.

They can then do this at any time even standing in the playground or in the car before coming into the building.

1. Find a supportive seat for your child and encourage them to sit up as straight as they can.

2. Guide your child to:

a. Put both their hands on their tummy.

b. Then keep their mouth closed and take a slow breath in through their nose.

3. Tell your child to imagine, as they breathe in, that there is a balloon in their belly and they are trying to fill it up with air.

4. Encourage your child to keep breathing in until they think the balloon in their tummy has enough air inside. Don’t encourage your child to breathe in too much as they may then find it hard to stay relaxed. Your child should be feeling their hands on their tummy moving outwards – point this out to them.

5. When your child feels their ‘belly balloon’ is full of air encourage them to imagine they have let go of the balloon and the air is rushing out! Guide your child to breathe out slowly through their mouth (with pursed lips). They should feel that their hands and belly button are coming back towards their spine. 

6. Guide your child to do 4 or 5 breaths like this and then to breathe normally.

Ask your child what they would like but here are some ideas.

• I will hold your hand on the way into the building
• I will tell you where I am going while you are in Preschool
• I will give you a hug
• I will give you a kiss
• I will say good- bye.
• I will let you walk into the classroom.
• If I am feeling sad, I would like the leader to …………………………………………………………….
• My plan for saying hello!
• Make your own personal plan for saying goodbye.

Currently the preschool children learn about mindfulness once a week as part of a 30-week classroom-based curriculum called dots with Fiona (our Mindfulness Teacher and Finance Manager) and supported by their preschool teachers.

Fiona is a fully trained mindfulness teacher, registered with the British Association of Mindfulness Based Approaches and the Mindfulness Teachers Association of Ireland.

You may have heard of mindfulness or read some of the recent media coverage about it.

A great deal of this media interest has arisen because of the growing body of rigorous research evidence regarding the potential benefits of mindfulness for young people. These include randomised control trials and neuroscientific studies.

As Professor Katherine Weare (Emeritus Professor, Southampton and Exeter Universities) observed in her award-winning research summary: Evidence for the Impact of Mindfulness on Children and Young People, schools who engage in mindfulness are likely to see ‘beneficial results on the emotional wellbeing, mental health, ability to learn and even the physical health of their students’. 

This is a classroom-based curriculum for children aged 3 -6 years and is offered formally as a series of sessions which often sit well alongside other subjects and in the children’s everyday lives. There are also ‘Have A Go’ practices and activities for the children to try in school and in their own time.

Should you be interested in reading further about the body of research evidence around mindfulness for both young people and school staff, you may find more information on the Mindfulness in Schools Project Website. 

If you have any questions about any of the above, please don’t hesitate to contact Fiona via admin@belmontplaycare.org