Worries. Wiggles. Giggles.

Aside from having a cute jingle affect … what do these words have in common?

1. They can impede a child’s success: school-work, tasks at home, follow-thru with hygiene, maintaining lasting friendships.

2. They are infectious:

• When a parent worries, a child worries and vice versa.
• When a child/adolescent starts wiggling in their chair at school, the classroom grows restless.
• If your son starts acting giggly and silly at bedtime, chances are that his siblings will too!

3. They can drive any adult bonkers!!!

“Mindfulness is a mirror of what’s happening in the present moment.” – Susan Kaiser Greenland

Worries. By being in the present moment, a person (adult or child) is taken away from the things that worry them: job stress, a parent/spouse away on a deployment, what will happen the next day at school.

Wiggles. By increasing body awareness and practicing effective breathing techniques, the body is able to calm itself and find a comfortable place to settle into.

Giggles. Everyone wants a happy child; however, there are times when being silly is distracting and counterproductive. Through visualization and sense awareness, your child can find a place that grounds them back down when it is time to be more serious. 

Simple concept. However, it is one that takes learning, practice, and repetition.

Increasing mindful awareness has positive impacts on children’s academic performance and social and emotional skills, such as making friends, being kind to others, and playing sports. Additionally, mindful awareness techniques can be used by children to help manage stress and to overcome specific challenges such as ADHD, insomnia, overeating, Anxiety, hyper-perfectionism, and chronic pain.