Keeping Kids From Making Mountains Out Of Molehills
Have you heard the expression making mountains out of molehills? Basically, it means making something a way bigger deal than it really is. And if you’re a parent, my guess is that you are experiencing some tiny human in your life making big deals out of things that don’t need to be big deals.
You know, a lost hat, being presented carrots instead of french fries, having to actually get out of bed on a Tuesday morning. The typical. So how do you keep molehills from turning into mountains?
What if I told you mindfulness?
And what if I told you that there is a secret time to employ those mindful skills to get optimal results. And if you put these skills into play at the right time, you may be able to avoid a meltdown scenario altogether and train your child’s brain to learn to calm itself down. Sound like a dream? It’s not! It’s possible, and I’ll show you how!
Episode #8: 5 How Mindfulness Can Help Kids from Making Mountains Out of Molehills
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In this Episode of The Rooted Family Podcast...
Have you ever been in the car and thought you were going to lose your mind because the bickering had reached off-the-chain levels and they were bickering about nothing important? (03:09)
Habits become behaviors, behaviors become personality and personality becomes how you see the world (3:52)
The other thing studies show is that mindfulness increased activity in the intake, anterior cingulate cortex, and that's a part of the brain that's closely connected with the prefrontal cortex and is correlated with empathy and decision making. (10:14)
No one starts climbing a mountain at the top. Just like your kid's emotional reaction. Didn't immediately show up. And I know sometimes it feels like that, but I guarantee you that there's some kind of triggering system that's going on in there and just figuring it out. (14:08)
A little tweaking at the base of the mountain can help keep the mountain molehill. The key time to employ mindfulness is at the trigger point, not at the meltdown. (20:56)
I'm telling you though, if you have been trapped in your house with a child that's having a three-hour meltdown, this one-minute sticker activity will seem like nothing to you. And I am telling you one minute of your life if it saves you from being trapped in your house is well worth it. (30:00)
The key is to tune into being mindful parents and kids. So often we see parents blaming kids or parents blaming themselves. (33:51)
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This Episode's Question:
What are some things that regularly cause your kiddo to make a mountain out of a molehill?
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FREE Resources Worth Mentioning:
Tripping up the Triggers
Road Trip Game
Action Plan Guide
Emotional Awareness Plan
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Episode #10: Building Resiliency in Children by Letting Them Fail