Susan K. Greenland: The Mindful Child: How to Help Your Kid Manage Stress and Become Happier, Kinder, and More Compassionate

Excerpt

Recently, on a clear summer night, my 1-year old son pointed to the full orange moon in wonder, awe, and bare attention, and then exclaimed “basketball!” in rapt joy, fully immersed in the moment. Prior to being shaped by perceived societal expectations and influenced by the processes of labeling and judgment that accompany cognitive awareness, infants and toddlers inherently exhibit the open and fresh mind required for mindfulness practice. However, as children grow and develop within a frenetic modern society that tends to value outcomes, immediate gratification, multitasking, past- and future-oriented focus, and achievement, they can lose sight of the reward of pure experience and the value of living mindfully in the present. Increased stress can have psychological and physiological implications, and can impact emotional health, social function, and attention. Susan Kaiser Greenland has written The Mindful Child as a guide to enable children, from preschoolers through adolescents, to manage stress and improve the quality of their lives by developing and applying the principles and dimensions of mindfulness practice. …