MINDFUL PARENTING REDUCES CHILD STRESS

Mindfulness in parenting significantly reduces children's stress levels, according to a new study by Professor Lea Waters [pictured left], who holds the Gerry Higgins Chair in Positive Psychology and is the Director of the Centre for Positive Psychology, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, at The University of Melbourne. 

Professor Waters said that child stress is becoming increasingly widespread with 31 per cent of Australian children feeling ‘very stressed,’ and 40 per cent feeling that they worry too much.

‘This stress and tension often leads to children having physical symptoms such as headaches, abdominal pain and difficulty sleeping,’ Professor Waters said. ‘We know from past research that when a child is stressed they draw on their parents for support, and that their parents have the power to diminish or increase their children's stress levels. We now have strong evidence that children benefit when they're parents are more mindful of their emotions, and pause before they react with anger, stress or frustration.’

Professor Waters said mindfulness can aid emotional support by helping parents to regulate their own attention and emotion.

‘Mindfulness is more than just a “buzzword”. It's about being present and giving each task your full attention,’ said Professor Waters. ‘Taking the time to listen and understand your child's problems, promotes trust and emotional connection leading to a richer and more authentic relationship.

‘It also teaches children how to be open and aware of the whole situation including their own thoughts, feelings and sensations, which in turn makes them less stressed.’

Resource: Waters, L. ‘The Relationship between Child Stress, Child Mindfulness and Parent Mindfulness.’ Psychology, 2016, 7, 40-51. Published Online Jan 2016 in SciRes. http://www.scirp.org/journal/psych http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/psych.2016.71006

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MINDFULNESS TRAINING IMPROVES CHILDREN’S ATTENTION SPAN

Yet another study has found that even a small amount of training in mindfulness improves children's attention span, in particular, their ability to ignore distractions and concentrate better.

These are the findings of a recent study carried out by Dominic Crehan and Dr Michelle Ellefson at the University of Cambridge and presented at the British Psychological Society's Cognitive Developmental Psychology Annual Conference at the University of Reading.

‘Mindfulness involves paying attention in a particular way---on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally,’ says Crehan. ‘It has been shown to reduce levels of stress and depression, and to improve feelings of well-being, but to date researchers have not established a link between mindfulness and attention skills in children.’

The researchers recruited 30 children (girls and boys aged 10 to 11 years old) to take part in a mindfulness course as part of their school curriculum. The children took part in the mindfulness course in 2 groups at different times, and so the researchers were able to compare the groups and see the effects of the course. To do this, they measured the children's levels of mindfulness using a questionnaire. They also measured their attention skills, using a computer game designed specifically for this purpose. They made these measurements on three occasions, at three month intervals, so that they could measure changes in attention skills over time as a result of the mindfulness course. The results indicated that an improvement in the children's ability to focus and deal with distractions was associated with the mindfulness course.

‘The ability to pay attention in class is crucial for success at school,’ says Crehan. ‘Mindfulness appears to have an effect after only a short training course, which the children thoroughly enjoyed. Through their training, the children actually learn to watch their minds working and learn to control their attention. These findings could be particularly important for helping children with attention difficulties such as ADHD.’

Resource: British Psychological Society (BPS) (2013, September 5). Mindfulness training improves attention in children. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 7, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2013/09/130905202847.htm

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Research released recently by the University of Exeter shows that a schools-based mindfulness program can aid pupils' wellbeing, with a reduction in stress still being reported 3 months after the program's completion.

The key findings from the research are as follows:

 

·         children who participated in the mindfulness in schools program reported fewer depressive systems after treatment, and also 3 months after completion of the program;

 

·         children reported lower stress and greater well-being 3 months after completion of the program;

 

·         the degree to which students practised mindfulness skills was associated with better well-being and lower stress.

 

Bright Futures Educational Trust provided a number of students from Altrincham GrammarSchool for Girls (AGGS) to form part of the sample group for the research.

The Mindfulness in Schools program, known as .b [pronounced dot-be, which stands for ‘Stop, Breathe and Be!’], gives students mindfulness as a life skill. Endorsed by the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford Brookes, the program helps students to feel happier, calmer and more fulfilled, get on better with others, concentrate and learn better, and cope with stress and anxiety.

 

Associate Principal of the Bright Futures Educational Trust, Amanda Bailey [pictured left], says:

 

Bright Futures Educational Trust is committed to innovation in improving pupil attainment, and that's why some of our students were involved in this piece of research.

 

Mindfulness teaches students how their minds work to improve concentration, manage exams effectively and help them see life more clearly through calmer modes of mind.

Mindfulness is already benefiting some of our pupils, and given the strong results of this research we will be giving students at all our schools the opportunity to try Mindfulness for themselves.

For more information about mindfulness and the results of the study, visit the site of the Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP), which is a non-profit organisation teaching secular mindfulness to pupils, teachers and parents using the .b courses.

 

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