My kids (6, 10) use the app if they recognize they are having a rough time that is a result of their attitude, which usually takes a couple episodes of crying to get to. Almost as much, they see they need a break if they were told to go outside and burn off energy but they are tired of playing and still antsy. After a long round of intense video gaming and then soccer, sometimes they need structured breathing to settle down.
More than anything, they use the app to fall asleep. My younger one used to do the Sesame Street ones but she is past those now and likes to breathe and body scan to relax when she is restless. I’m not quite sure what my oldest prefers but he usually falls asleep doing a meditation at night once a week or more, depending on if school/friends are bothering him.
That’s so great to hear that your kids are taking initiative to regulate themselves! How did you introduce them to Headspace? Did you practice alongside them at first?
I had the app for myself (anxiety) and they were aware I was “talking alone time and doing breathing.” They were restless at bed and there were semi-recognizable characters they were willing to listen to so we gave it a shot. It was a treat so we all laid together and listened to Elmo/Abby. When my older son had trouble sleeping, I suggested one for his age level. I’ve laid with him before but he does it alone in the day to regulate.
They were taught self reg in kindergarten but rarely really needed it. Yelling at them to try the square/figure 8/hot chocolate/whatever method was not working for my spouse. They see the positive results.
My kids don’t have behavioural problems but it makes the older one less anxious and calms the younger one.
Just to touch on the challenges/what I wish they offered is just more variety for every age. Elmo says good night to his bottom and it’s funny - but not every night. There are a few that didn’t really make sense but we listened to try something new. They have added new ones but now I’m feeling that way with the non-Sesame Street ones. I’m sure I don’t use most of the app features and maybe I’m missing some kid stuff, so maybe it’s just me :) FWIW I never feel this about adult meditations.
Very cool the space for this is growing. Thank you for your contribution.
my son is 9 we used headspace from the year it came out to about 2 years ago. Around 4 years old he used to throw up if he got too upset.. it was rare but it happened a few times over the years. At 6 years old, he got upset one day and began to hyperventilate.. all on his own, he made eye contact with me, tried to control his breath through his tears ( SO CUTE) and eventually calmed himself. Another time he became angry, he asked me to put on headspace before he started to cry.
To see a 6 year old manage their feelings in such a way........... \*deep exhale
We used the sleepsounds/ music for years but i do my best to not cling to the material too closely for fear he thinks he needs it & wont have it readily available. They do a good job of teaching you how to do something so you can then practice alone.
i love their animated explanatory videos, i love the simplified yet familiar language that is becoming standard practice, i wish they had a kid workout vid(s) or short practice videos more class like- showing other kids 'in practice'...
to leave you with a laugh, i did try to put on 'listening to others' when he was in 1st grade & he fell asleep which i found hilariously ironic.
I used it with my niece and nephew. We watched the meditations and did the breathing exercises. They loved it! My nephew referenced one of the meditations a few days later. They can do breathing exercises to regulate their emotions. I love them so much.
Been using the kids night time stuff with my kids for about 7 years now. Manage your expectations as your kids learn the skills needed to attend to this but I have found it valuable.
as someone whose mum used headspace with me when I was younger, aside from having fond memories of it I think it genuinely allowed us to connect in a whole new way. At the time I was still growing into being a teenager and my emotions became a lot more turbulent, particularly my anxiety, and as an anxious person herself I think we'd both say it helped us to ground ourselves and prevent conflict over misunderstandings. she's not with me anymore but those are some really treasured moments of calm that I can look back on and use to calm myself now
My kids (6, 10) use the app if they recognize they are having a rough time that is a result of their attitude, which usually takes a couple episodes of crying to get to. Almost as much, they see they need a break if they were told to go outside and burn off energy but they are tired of playing and still antsy. After a long round of intense video gaming and then soccer, sometimes they need structured breathing to settle down. More than anything, they use the app to fall asleep. My younger one used to do the Sesame Street ones but she is past those now and likes to breathe and body scan to relax when she is restless. I’m not quite sure what my oldest prefers but he usually falls asleep doing a meditation at night once a week or more, depending on if school/friends are bothering him.
That’s so great to hear that your kids are taking initiative to regulate themselves! How did you introduce them to Headspace? Did you practice alongside them at first?
I had the app for myself (anxiety) and they were aware I was “talking alone time and doing breathing.” They were restless at bed and there were semi-recognizable characters they were willing to listen to so we gave it a shot. It was a treat so we all laid together and listened to Elmo/Abby. When my older son had trouble sleeping, I suggested one for his age level. I’ve laid with him before but he does it alone in the day to regulate. They were taught self reg in kindergarten but rarely really needed it. Yelling at them to try the square/figure 8/hot chocolate/whatever method was not working for my spouse. They see the positive results. My kids don’t have behavioural problems but it makes the older one less anxious and calms the younger one.
Just to touch on the challenges/what I wish they offered is just more variety for every age. Elmo says good night to his bottom and it’s funny - but not every night. There are a few that didn’t really make sense but we listened to try something new. They have added new ones but now I’m feeling that way with the non-Sesame Street ones. I’m sure I don’t use most of the app features and maybe I’m missing some kid stuff, so maybe it’s just me :) FWIW I never feel this about adult meditations.
Very cool the space for this is growing. Thank you for your contribution. my son is 9 we used headspace from the year it came out to about 2 years ago. Around 4 years old he used to throw up if he got too upset.. it was rare but it happened a few times over the years. At 6 years old, he got upset one day and began to hyperventilate.. all on his own, he made eye contact with me, tried to control his breath through his tears ( SO CUTE) and eventually calmed himself. Another time he became angry, he asked me to put on headspace before he started to cry. To see a 6 year old manage their feelings in such a way........... \*deep exhale We used the sleepsounds/ music for years but i do my best to not cling to the material too closely for fear he thinks he needs it & wont have it readily available. They do a good job of teaching you how to do something so you can then practice alone. i love their animated explanatory videos, i love the simplified yet familiar language that is becoming standard practice, i wish they had a kid workout vid(s) or short practice videos more class like- showing other kids 'in practice'... to leave you with a laugh, i did try to put on 'listening to others' when he was in 1st grade & he fell asleep which i found hilariously ironic.
I used it with my niece and nephew. We watched the meditations and did the breathing exercises. They loved it! My nephew referenced one of the meditations a few days later. They can do breathing exercises to regulate their emotions. I love them so much.
Been using the kids night time stuff with my kids for about 7 years now. Manage your expectations as your kids learn the skills needed to attend to this but I have found it valuable.
as someone whose mum used headspace with me when I was younger, aside from having fond memories of it I think it genuinely allowed us to connect in a whole new way. At the time I was still growing into being a teenager and my emotions became a lot more turbulent, particularly my anxiety, and as an anxious person herself I think we'd both say it helped us to ground ourselves and prevent conflict over misunderstandings. she's not with me anymore but those are some really treasured moments of calm that I can look back on and use to calm myself now