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The Whole-Brain Child: Mindfulness and Self-Awareness

 The Whole-Brain Child: Mindfulness and Self-Awareness


Welcome to the fifth part of our six-part series on "The Whole-Brain Child" strategies. In this post, we'll explore how to develop mindfulness and self-awareness in children. We'll focus on two key strategies: "Exercise Mindsight" and "Remember to Remember".

Strategy 9: Exercise Mindsight

"Mindsight" is the ability to understand one's own mind and the minds of others. This strategy helps children develop empathy and self-understanding. Here's how to implement it:

  1. Introduce the Concept: Explain to your child that everyone has a mind, and our minds can think, feel, and make decisions.
  2. Practice Self-Reflection: Encourage your child to think about their own thoughts and feelings. Ask questions like, "What's going on in your mind right now?"
  3. Explore Others' Perspectives: Help your child consider how others might think or feel in different situations. "How do you think your friend felt when that happened?"
  4. Use Stories: Read books or tell stories that explore characters' thoughts and motivations. Discuss how different characters might be thinking or feeling.
  5. Play Perspective-Taking Games: Try games like "What am I thinking?" where you give clues about what's on your mind and your child tries to guess.
  6. Model Mindsight: Share your own thought processes out loud. "I'm feeling frustrated because I can't solve this puzzle, but I'm going to take a deep breath and try again."

Developing mindsight helps children understand that everyone has their own internal experiences, which is crucial for building empathy and social skills.

Strategy 10: Remember to Remember

This strategy focuses on strengthening memory skills and making recollection a part of daily life. Here's how to put it into practice:

  1. Create Memory Rituals: Establish regular times to recall and discuss recent events. For example, during dinner, each family member could share their favorite moment from the day.
  2. Play Memory Games: Engage in games that exercise memory skills, like "I'm going on a picnic" where each person adds an item to a growing list.
  3. Use Visual Aids: Create photo albums or memory boxes to help your child recall past experiences.
  4. Practice Storytelling: Encourage your child to tell stories about their experiences, helping them organize their memories into coherent narratives.
  5. Connect Past and Present: Help your child see connections between past experiences and current situations. "Remember when we went to the zoo last year? We're going to see some of those animals again today!"
  6. Reflect on Learning: After new experiences, ask your child what they learned and how they might use that knowledge in the future.

Implementing these strategies:

  • For Exercising Mindsight, start with simple emotions and gradually move to more complex mental states as your child's understanding grows.
  • For Remember to Remember, make it fun and engaging. The goal is to help your child see the value in recalling and reflecting on experiences, not to create a chore.

These strategies work together to help children develop a richer understanding of themselves and their experiences. By exercising mindsight, they learn to understand their own minds and the minds of others. By remembering to remember, they strengthen their ability to learn from experiences and build a coherent sense of self over time.

Remember, like any skill, mindfulness and self-awareness develop with practice. Be patient and consistent in your approach, and celebrate the small victories along the way.

In our final post of this series, we'll explore strategies for building strong family connections. Stay tuned!

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