Once you have a baby, completely new questions arise in your life, and suddenly you’re thinking about topics you never would have considered before. It’s a wonderful, exciting time, but we also understand if your head starts to spin at some point!

At LILLYDOO, we believe that you will make the right decisions for yourself and your little explorer. We also believe it can be helpful to occasionally seek advice from people who deal with these questions every day and are experts in their field. That’s why, in this series of articles, we want to ask experts the questions about pregnancy, birth, and parenthood that are on all our minds.

Laura Malina Seiler podcasts books

What exactly is mindfulness?

Dear Laura, what does mindfulness mean to you?

To me, mindfulness means being consciously present in the current moment and not identifying with my thoughts. When I am mindful, I am fully present in the here and now, not somewhere else in my mind. It also means being aware of your own feelings and being able to regulate yourself in a positive way. When we are truly mindful, we feel pleasantly relaxed because we focus on what is happening right now, not on what might come tomorrow or what happened yesterday.

Can you learn mindfulness?

Definitely—and fortunately! Mindfulness can be consciously trained and learned, for example through a regular meditation practice.

Mindfulness for children and families

Why is mindfulness important even for young children?

For children, it’s especially important that parents learn to be mindful and present with them. In my opinion, this is one of the most important qualities we can have as parents. Children observe everything about us, and if they see that we are mindful of ourselves and our needs, as well as of our environment and our fellow human beings, they will do the same.

Are there fixed rules for mindfulness in the family or a "framework" to guide you?

Yes, definitely—although I think each family is best suited to decide for themselves how they want to practice mindfulness in everyday life. For example, as a family, we have rules to truly listen when someone is speaking, not to interrupt, and not to have phones in hand during meals. In addition, we do a small gratitude circle together in the evening, where each person shares what they are most grateful for.

What can we adults learn from our children when it comes to mindfulness?

So much! Children are naturally mindful because they are already present in the moment. We can learn from them to let go of negative emotions quickly and not hold on to them for long. We can learn from them to play with intention and not get distracted. We can learn from them to enjoy simple things again, have fun with life, and jump in puddles when it rains. Children are our greatest teachers, reminding us of everything that is truly important.

Do you have small tips or specific exercises for more mindfulness that families can incorporate into everyday life?

Yes—for example, establishing a gratitude routine with your children is wonderful: simply take a moment in the evening before going to sleep to reflect on everything that was beautiful today.

How can parents create space in everyday family life to, for example, meditate or do yoga?

Ideally, with the children. I do 10 minutes of yoga with my son every evening, and afterwards he snuggles into my lap while I meditate. Children love trying things out with us. We have a book with yoga exercises for children, and my son always chooses the ones he wants to do. If you prefer to practice yoga as a balance for yourself alone, then with small children there is usually only the option to do so when they are sleeping.

Meditation with children

Is meditation something that can already be "learned" or practiced with children from an early age?

Yes, absolutely. There are such beautiful children’s meditations, and I believe that in the future it will be one of the most important skills for our children: to find their inner peace and get to know themselves better through meditation.

Many parents occasionally feel overwhelmed, as if everything is getting on top of them. Do you have any specific tips at the end to help find inner peace again in such situations?

In acute moments of overwhelm, it’s best to start with your breath and bring yourself back to the present moment. Take deep breaths and feel your feet on the ground. Afterwards, it helps to ask yourself good, resource-oriented questions (that is, focusing on what is already available), such as "What do I need right now?", "Who can support me at the moment?" or "Which of my skills can help me now?"

Furthermore, I recommend starting the morning with a short meditation to recharge and reconnect with yourself. It makes a huge difference in my daily life whether it’s a day I have meditated in the morning or not.

Thank you very much, dear Laura, for these helpful tips on mindfulness in everyday family life! At LILLYDOO, we know that family life can often be quite hectic, and not everything can happen in complete calm. That is perfectly okay. But small moments of calm can make such a difference, and we hope that Laura’s tips have inspired you to create these moments more often for yourself and your family. We wish you lots of joy in doing so!

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