Mindfulness for Beginners: Does a Bilingual Child Need Mindfulness?

Mindfulness for Beginners: What is mindfulness and why does your bilingual child need it?
Don't dismiss goodness by saying, "It won't do me any good."
A jug is filled with water drop by drop,
and similarly, a wise person, accumulating goodness a little at a time,
is filled with it.

<Dhammapada, 9.122>

Everyday life is routine, a repetition of the same actions. In routine, we feel safe, but... Isn't it sometimes worth stopping and looking around – at what surrounds us?

The term mindfulness (literally "fullness of mind" or "fullness of awareness") is used in Poland in its English version or translated into Polish as "uważność"/"uważna być."

Mindfulness is about being conscious. About the here and now. Mindfulness reveals our inner world to us, but also opens us to the outside world. To the beauty of the world, to people, and to everything that surrounds us.

Mindfulness aims to reduce stress, open us to our surroundings, and allow us to draw greater energy and joy from our lives. Mindfulness is a way of life.

Practicing mindfulness doesn't require any gadgets or special conditions. It's simply a new way of experiencing everyday life. Its beautiful moments, but also our impatience, boredom, and frustration. Everything that makes up life as it is, not as we want it to be.

What is mindfulness?
Professor Jon Kabat Zinn, creator of the mindfulness-based program Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), defines mindfulness as "being focused in a specific way, here and now, without judgment or evaluation." Mindfulness is also described as "tender attention," emphasizing the importance of gentleness and empathy.

Mindfulness exercises can be performed by preschool-aged children, around the age of four. It's important to appropriately match the type and timing of tasks to the child's developmental needs. Children learn best through observation and readily imitate adults, so it's best for them to learn mindfulness techniques together with their parents or older siblings.

Exercises that involve observing their own thought processes are not recommended for children aged 4-6. Children of this age quickly lose interest and concentration, and their attention is involuntary, making it too early for this.

However, mindfulness exercises based on the child's physical activity and drawing on their imagination, which children of this age typically have, are ideal. Mindfulness for young children primarily teaches them to notice their bodies and the changes occurring within them under the influence of emotions.

For children aged 7 to 12, mindfulness exercises can be introduced, which develop cognitive functions and drawing conclusions. Such exercises help children develop cause-and-effect thinking.

For teenagers (12-17 years old), who are experiencing rapid hormonal changes, group mindfulness training can be helpful. This is influenced by a number of factors, including teenagers' tendency to develop interpersonal relationships and a strong need for belonging and group acceptance.

Is it worthwhile to practice mindfulness with bilingual children?
Bilingual children living outside Poland often face different challenges than their monolingual peers. Polish is usually a minority language for them, as the language of the environment, which is present at school (e.g., English), dominates.

One of the main benefits of practicing mindfulness in Polish is exposure to a minority language. This helps the child expand their emotional vocabulary and accustoms them to talking about feelings in Polish. This is a great gift that can ultimately result in better communication within the family, greater opportunities for self-expression, self-expression, and building identity and self-confidence. Talking about feelings not only helps with recognizing and naming emotions but also builds a close bond between parent and child.

Nurturing and developing a child's mindfulness and compassion brings positive results in many areas of a bilingual child's life, including:

It helps the child concentrate and develops perceptiveness during group exercises in the minority language;
The child learns to manage emotions and develops self-control skills, for example, fewer tantrums and aggressive reactions that may arise at different stages of development or stem from a sense of difference in the group;
It teaches sensitivity to the needs of others and provides an empathetic perspective on differences;
It develops self-awareness, self-confidence, and self-belief by discovering their strengths;
The child learns relaxation and breathing techniques, which they can use during stressful life events, such as GCSE or A-level exams in the minority language.

Spending time with your child is a crucial element of mindful living and mindful relationships.