How to Help Your Kids Breathe

It’s a fact: when your kids can breathe easier, so can you, and oftentimes a slow and steady breath rate can make us all a little bit calmer. What won’t work, though, is suggesting to your small child that they practice breathing as a form of fun. After all, they want to be engaged in exciting activities for their minds and bodies!

Thanks to the information provided in this article, there is a way to help your child practice breathing and be more mindful while keeping the experience fun and kid-friendly. The goal with all of these methods is to achieve about 5-6 breath cycles per minute so that the nervous system can fully relax.

With all of that background, here are three ways to make breathing practice fun for kids:

1) Be inspired by dinosaurs. What kid doesn’t love dinosaurs? An easy way to help kids breathe better while channeling their best velociraptor impression is by having them breathe in while holding their arms out like a dinosaur, then ‘scoop’ dirt like an excavator as they breathe out.

2) Be inspired by pirates. First, have your child breathe in and imagine the salty air around the pirate ship filling his or her lungs. Then ask your child to let out a giant ‘ARRR!’ sound while breathing out. This simple exercise will fire their imaginations while slowing their breath down!

3) Be inspired by cake. Many kids think and talk about their birthdays all year long, so why not practice blowing out the candles? Ask your child to breathe in as much air as possible, then let out a giant breath to extinguish all the imaginary candles on their cake. If you’re really up for a party, why not stick a few real candles in front of them to practice?

Breathing can be fun for everyone, from kids to adults, so my challenge is for you to use these tips and your own imagination to inspire the children around you to breathe slower, deeper, and better, experiencing all the benefits this is sure to entail.

Mindfully Yours,

Dr. Pamm