This week on the show our guest Lesley Yadon, talked to us about how meditation and mindfulness can be great tools to become more calm and peaceful mothers. But mindfulness isn't just for adults. Mindfulness is a skill you can start teaching kids from a young age to help them develop resilience and the ability to deal with their emotions. But it can be hard to know where to start. Which is why are so excited to share an amazing resource that can help you.
Stop, Breathe and Think is a mindful games app designed specifically for children ages 5 - 10. With this app kids can check in to how they are feeling using fun emojis and try recommended mindful missions tuned to those emotions. Stickers reward their progress and keep the activities engaging.
Mindfulness and meditation are tools to help children better deal with the variety of emotions they experience. It develops coping mechanisms and strengthens their emotional intelligence, which helps them avoid being overwhelmed by their emotions.
.The app was created by two moms, Julie Campiston and Jamie Price who wanted to address what they feel is an "emotional crisis with younger generations."
"Stress and anxiety are on the rise, and are more prevalent with 18-34 year olds than any other generation. Suicide is the #2 cause of death for that age group. "
They are big advocates of having an "emotional wellness hygiene" and taking 5 minutes to Stop, Breathe & Think. They are excited to extend their mission to younger kids.
The meditations and mindful missions in Stop, Breathe & Think Kids were developed in collaboration with activity-based mindfulness expert Susan Kaiser Greenland, creator of the Inner Kids program and author of Mindful Games and The Mindful Child.
STOP, BREATHE & THINK KIDS FEATURES:
Meditation & mindfulness for kids:
15 free mindful activities for every situation
Fun video animations
Stickers to reward progress
Julie and Jamie have the following tip to create an emotional hygiene routine.
"Pick a time in the day, like right when you wake up or at bedtime, when you take a few minutes to Stop, Breathe & Think. It helps create a positive routine for the whole family and integrate mindfulness in your daily life. "
The app is super interactive and includes mindful missions to deal with common emotions like: sleep, over excitement, stress & worry, disappointment & sadness, caring & connecting.
"We want to raise our kids to be able to handle whatever comes their way. Whether they need to mellow out before bed, develop positive relationships or simply have a peaceful moment, Stop, Breathe & Think Kids offers children a fun and easy way to identify and process their emotions.
From counting breaths to friendly wishes or frog jumps, each activity brings fun rewards to keep them engaged. The activities in the app are a great way for grown ups to spend time with their children and create a positive daily routine.
Jamie and Julie are both mothers themselves and hope to inspire other moms to know, "they can take on risky and demanding adventures like founding a startup."
They are both excited that they have had overwhelming support for their venture and even won the People’s Voice Webby Award for Best Health App this year.
Keeping true to their vision for a more peaceful world they donate 10 percent of their proceeds to a non-profit.
We are happy to highlight them and their mission to lead a mindfulness revolution that will result in happier kids and moms!
Learn more about them by visiting their site. You can also download the app!
You can also follow them on Instagram. @SBTbreathe
