Mindful Children & Families

Mindful Children and Families

As school teachers, we frequently come across young people who struggle.  It might be friendship or exam pressures, or larger issues such as a bereavement or family breakdown.  Without the skills to cope with these challenges, children and teens can become overwhelmed.

All children and teenagers experience difficulties and the strong emotions that accompany them.  It’s a normal part of growing up.  Helping children learn to accept and manage these difficulties will support the development of their mental wellbeing as they progress into adulthood.

Mindfulness is proven to help children and teenagers navigate these difficult experiences.  By becoming aware of their emotions, thoughts and body sensations and developing strategies to accept and manage them more effectively, they become more skilled at interacting with the world around them.  Mindfulness teaches them to identify and approach challenges more skilfully.  This leads to a better understanding of themselves and to feel more settled and confident in coping with life’s inevitable ups and downs.  It becomes a skill for life.

Simply Mindfulness can teach mindfulness courses to children and teens one to one, in small groups or as a private family course.

Mindfulness Courses for Children, Young People and Families

Private one to one, group or family mindfulness course with a weekly 1 hr session

7-11 year olds, £360* (inclusive price for a 6 week course for up to 4 people)

12-18 year olds, £540* (inclusive price for a 9 week course for up to 4 people)
*studio hire extra

Our teachers, Laura Wilson and Sarah Gale, are primary and secondary school teachers with over 15 years of experience.  Please contact us or e-mail info@simplymindfulness.co.uk for more information.

What families say:

“The best thing about learning mindfulness was learning how to understand my mind and overcome worries I may have.”   (age 13)

“Mindfulness helps my concentration and was fun and interesting.”  (age 11)

“I was unsure about this when mum first mentioned it to me.  But I have found that I have improved massively since I first started.  For a person who gets stressed and anxious easily, which leads me to go down the Exhaustion Funnel, I can now see a way out.  This has been so useful, especially for later life.  Thank you.” (age 16)

“As a family we have learnt how we each function and why we feel things and respond the way we do.  This has helped us all understand and support each other.  It has given me confidence in supporting my children with the daily stresses and strains and in helping and nurturing their resilience.The complex content was delivered in such a clear and concise way in which we could all benefit.  Thank you, the benefits will continue for a long time to come for us all.”  (parent)

“It has helped me cope with life with teenagers.  It has helped my family to have conversations with some terminology. We have all taken different things away, but all benefitted.  If has given the flesh behind the app and as a consequence I am much more likely to continue with it and return to it.”  (parent)

“It was a brilliant course, my boys absolutely loved it and can’t wait to tell all their school friends and teachers about it. They have learnt some amazing tools and I have no doubt we will do other courses with you in the future. Thank you for teaching us to be mindful and have so much fun at the same time.”   (parent)

“The course was extremely informative and will provide for a better working and home life balance.  I have certainly found myself ‘responding’ and not ‘reacting’, pausing and breathing consciously in various work and family situations.   After an incredibly difficult day, an hour with Sarah practising mindfulness was just the tonic.  I came away feeling like a totally different person.”   (parent)

Was there anything you didn’t like about PAWS b?

“No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!”    (Age 11)

Mindfulness in Schools

The Mindfulness in Schools Programme (MiSP) was started by two school teachers and mindfulness practitioners in 2009 to deliver the proven benefits of the adult 8-Week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy Course, for children aged 7-18 years old in an age appropriate way.  MiSP now has charity status and works very closely with the Oxford University Mindfulness Centre to research the effects of the mindfulness programmes on student and teacher wellbeing. .b (dot b) is the curriculum taught to students age 11 to 18 years old. Paws b is the programme for students 7-11 years old.  Studies have shown lower stress, greater wellbeing and fewer depressive symptoms in students who have been taught .b or Paws b.  A larger study through Oxford University has recently concluded in 2021 to study the long term impact of mindfulness teaching in childhood called the MYRIAD study.  Results are due to be published this year.  Simply Mindfulness has teachers trained to deliver both the .b and Paws b curriculums in schools.

Mindfulness in schools also supports the well-being of teachers through mindfulness training.  Studies have shown teachers who learn mindfulness have a reduction in stress, better mental health and well-being, better physical health, increased cognitive performance and enhanced job performance.  If a school wishes to train teachers to deliver the Mindfulness in Schools Programmes, it is a pre-requisite for the teacher to complete an 8-Week Mindfulness Course, and then develop their own mindfulness home practice for 6 months to then be eligible to takes the 3-4 day course through MiSP to teach students.   Please see Workplace Mindfulness Courses should you wish to provide an adult 8-Week Mindfulness course to teachers in your school.

Simply Mindfulness can support schools in a variety of ways depending on your needs.  Options include:

Mindfulness Workshops for staff, students and/or parents  (£75)

8-Week Mindfulness Course for staff  (£800 for 8 x 90 minute sessions and a staff introduction session (this is a reduction from the normal cost of workplace courses offered only to schools)

Paws.b and .b courses delivered by a qualified teacher (.b course £750 for 9 one hour sessions; Paws.b £300 for 6 one hour sessions)

Mindfulness school clubs

Please contact us if  you would like more information about how to bring mindfulness into your school.

What teachers say:

“I can predict that in a busy school and with the fast-paced life I lead that I will need to use a mindfulness practice either in the future or regularly.  Debbie has been informative, knowledgeable, positive and approachable throughout and I will miss not having our weekly sessions!  Thank you!”  

“It’s made me take a good look at the way I live and act.  Through this I plan on continuing with guided mindfulness and to roll this out to my pupils in form period.”  

What 6-9 year olds say when asked “When will you use mindfulness?”:

“When I’m angry.”

“To help me get to sleep.”

“When I wake up to help me have a calm day.”

“After a busy day and I still have lots of homework.”

“To help me persevere.”

What teenagers say:

“It has been really helpful in making me be able to see when I am stressed; being easily angered; or am being annoying to other people.  This means I can stop this and it has improved relationships with people.” (age 16)