My Mindset For Kids
This package is designed to help you and your child begin a practice of mindfulness and cultivate a growth mindset to carry forward with them as they grow. This digital print can be assembled into a booklet for the child, hung on a wall, or a combination of both. I wanted to share a little more of the purpose and how to use each print. So here you go
Affirmations
These statements provide emotional support and encourage a growth mindset and self love within the child. This print can be hung on a wall or remain within the workbook for the child. You can practice reading the statements aloud to them and have them repeat. Other ideas could be visiting the affirmations before heading off to school, when they wake up or before an event. Practicing positive affirmations can help the child take control over their own mindset and emotions, a skill they will carry forward in life.
Calming Steps
These images lay out the steps to take when the child needs a reset or a moment to calm down. 1) Find a comfortable place to sit. 2) Take deep breaths 3) Point out what they need next to help shift into a calmer place. Yoga, reading, cuddling a stuffy, drawing or trace exercises or a hug. If you choose to hang this on a wall it would be helpful to have the items near by so the child can come to this place on their own once a habit is formed. It also may be helpful to keep this near the “Deep Breaths” print.
My Yoga Practice
The yoga poses pictured on the image help the child connect their mind and body with mindful motion. Yoga is a great mindset reset activity and can help develop focus, balance and coordination in the process. This is a great activity to do together or the child can copy the poses on their own. It can also be used as a body break to get moving after a long period of sitting or if the child is indoors for a long period.
What I Need Cards
These rectangles are meant to be printed and cut out into little cards. Place them somewhere the child has easy access to them. When they cannot find the words or perhaps their vocabulary is not ready yet, they can bring the cards to you or their caregiver to let them know what they could use in that moment. rest or sleep, deep breaths, yoga, family time, reading or being read to, cuddling their stuffy, drawing, coloring or tracing, a hug, playing a sport or exercising, meditating, snack or meal, getting outside in the sun, talking, expression of love, alone time, time with friends.
All My Feelings Are Valid
This print is a great reminder to children and adults that their feelings are valid and its part of being human to feel a wide range of emotions. Its important to recognize the feeling, accept and allow it to be felt without pushing it away or hiding it. This creates emotional intelligence and allows the child to begin practicing that skill early in life to carry forward with them as they grow.
Its Ok to…
This print out helps the child develop a growth mindset to enable them to overcome obstacles including their own inner critic at a young age. Practicing growth mindset can begin at any age, the sooner we begin this practice the sooner we can start shifting our perspective from limiting beliefs into growth. These can be read aloud to the child, or hung on a wall so they have a reminder that these are all a normal part of life that everyone experiences. A reminder they will get through each.
5-4-3-2-1
This is a mindset reset tool. It helps shift the focus and use the five senses to connect to the moment they are living right now. It can be used as a tool to calm down in times when calm is lost, or as a regular mindfulness practice to increase their awareness of what is around them.
Mindset Reset ABCs
A great print to frame or pin up on the wall. Along with practicing the alphabet, it also gives ideas for activities you can do when the child or both of you need a little reset or refresh. As a regular practice you can bring the child to the print to pick an activity.
Deep Breaths
This print helps to visually display one way to practice deep breaths. Breathing in for the count of three, holding the breath for a count of three then breathing it out for the count of three.
Body Scan
To help connect mind and body and increase self awareness. The child can sit or lie down and visualize each part of their body moving from top to bottom, or bottom to top. Recognize if they are sore anywhere, or stiff. If their heart is beating fast, lips smiling.
As a caregiver, you can participate in the activity as well.
For adults you can think more in depth, am I holding tension here, is my jaw clenched, brows squinted, tightness in neck or shoulders, heaviness in chest, closing or tightness in throat, clenching in abdomen or fists. Notice any pain, tingling, lightness or tightness, clenching or flexing of muscles. Can you relax deeper, let go in those areas?
This can also be used as a meditation technique that is a simple introduction to the practice. Or as a tool to relax and calm down in bed before its time to sleep.
I am Responsible For
Taking responsibility and ownership in the areas of our life that we can control is a crucial skill for growth and success in all facets of our lives. This print is a reminder that we can choose our actions, our thoughts our words and our feelings or perspectives in each situation. Becoming mindful of this helps the child begin a practice of accountability and choice in their lives.
Trace Me
These patterns are for the child to trace with a pen or pencil or with their finger. If helps develop focus, and fine motor skills while also evoking calmness. You can reprint these repeatedly to be used, or laminate them and use with a dry erase marker.
Mazes
The maxes help develop logic, problem solving and focus while evoking calmness. Like the trace activities, you can reprint these repeatedly to be used, or laminate them and use with a dry erase marker.
Make The Shift
This print displays examples of limiting thoughts or things your child may say aloud. You can use it as a guide to help the child move from the limiting belief into a growth mindset. It can help the care giver respond to comments like these from a child. The print can be used visually and read aloud, showing them the line between the two thoughts helps them picture moving from one way of thinking to the next. The shift is referring to shifting our thoughts from a limiting belief into a growth mindset.
Powerful Questions
These are great questions to start mindful conversations with your child. They can also be used a journal prompt when the child is old enough to write. If they can not yet write they can draw a picture based on the question. We often ask these types of questions at dinner and let each child have their time to respond with all out attention on their answers.
I Love My Body
This print displays all the different ways we can show love for our bodies. Taking care of our bodies and practicing self care is a skill for all ages. These create a very basic awareness of the foundations behind self care.
Color My Emotions
This sheet can be used as a coloring activity or used for the child to point and identify the different emotions the may be feeling through out the day. They can begin to name that emotion as well. I left the names out intentionally so the child can use their own words. If they need extra vocabulary around each emotion you can give a few examples for each face. Naming emotions creates self awareness and is a mindfulness practice for the child.
How Many People Can You Count
This activity can be used at any time for fun. They can count all the people, or count how many of each color or type of pose. This can also be used as a mindset reset or a break between shifts in activities. The poses also show lots of ways you can get your body moving and can inspire ideas for a body break or exercise as well. Because exercise and moving our body is one way to reset our mindset, you can use this as an activity guide.
I Love Myself to The Moon and Back
A visual graphic print depicting self love.
