"Help your children learn to be still and calm…they’ll be better able to survive the storms brewing within them from moment to moment, and they’ll have a better chance of thriving—emotionally, psychologically, socially—as they grow toward adulthood.” - Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson, “The Whole-Brain Child”
This book has been around for a while; I’m re-reading it now to help reinforce my “why,” and refresh the neuroscience behind teaching mindfulness practices to children. It simply and clearly explains the importance of integrating the left and right sides of a child’s brain in order to help them develop the ability to self-regulate.
I particularly like the book’s “connect and re-direct” method; a way of helping kids “feel felt” before trying to solve problems or address a situation logically.
A must-read if you work with young children!