Mindfulness for children

Facilitating factors for implementation of mindfulness in schools :

National educational system

• Awareness of a growing need for mindfulness as a possible answer to many problems
  Concentration, stress, classroom disorder, behavioral problems, bullying, lack of compassion, low
  Self-esteem, impaired wellbeing, anxiousness
• Political and societal discussion on the curriculum for 2032
• Decentralization
  Relative freedom for schools and teachers to determine their own curriculum
• Less pressure from (external) standardized tests
• A high standard education for teachers in mindfulness for children
• Budget for schools and teachers to follow mindfulness courses

Schools

• Educational leadership
  principals/managers with a positive vision on mindfulness, facilitating teacher training in mindfulness (for children) and introduction of mindfulness in their schools;

• Educational vision/aims/values connected with mindfulness
  school vision/concept/ aims regarding educating the whole child, wellbeing, anti bullying, promoting concentration, (self) compassion. Fulfilling the natural needs of children to be autonomous, competent and related to others

• Human resources management aimed at the wellbeing, stress prevention of teachers

• Bottom up strategy
  Start with teachers who are motivated, interested and willing (the early adopters).
  Never force teachers to follow mindfulness courses;
  Let teachers experience mindfulness exercises, (show, don’t tell, in workshops, informational meetings, etc.)
  Teachers need a structural method for teaching mindfulness to children.

• “Specialized” mindfulness teachers
  financial and organizational possibilities to let teachers train children in other classes than their own;
  Teachers who are not educated as a child trainer do daily short mindfulness exercises the in cooperation with the educated child trainers.

Parents

Information on how to practice at home (informally). If possible: a parenting course