How mindfulness lessons at school help children study better and handle their emotions
- Mindfulness training is growing in popularity in schools around the world, helping youngsters to be better equipped at handling difficult situations
- Children who are mindful have higher self-esteem, concentrate better and are more emotionally resilient
Like most parents, Sothy Kay wants her children to grow up thoughtful, engaged, creative and emotionally resilient. So when she learned that One World International School (OWIS) in Singapore incorporated mindfulness into its daily classroom routines, she decided to enrol her children there.
That the school offered an excellent curriculum was one thing, but Kay also appreciated that it guided its young students to interact with mindfulness, using techniques and activities such as meditation and yoga, to develop their social and emotional intelligence.
“Since starting at OWIS about a year ago and being part of the school’s mindfulness programme, my children are more carefree, secure and confident,” says Kay, an Australian based in Singapore.
“Mindfulness is so important for children because it helps them connect with themselves. Many kids don’t have the opportunity to do that because they are too busy with school and other activities.”
The OWIS mindfulness programme encourages the children to slow down their thought processes and focus on choreographed movements.