Mental health is a vital part of children’s overall health and well-being; it includes children’s mental, emotional, and behavioral wellness. According to the American Psychological Association, recent studies have shown that children’s mental health has been negatively affected over the past few years from social media and the Covid-19 pandemic.  Learning to be mindful has had a positive effect on children’s mental health. In order to help children improve their mental health, the four- part series, Mindfulness, was taught to 3^rd and 4^th graders at Campbell Ridge Elementary School. 

The Campbell County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent partnered with the 4-H Assistant to teach Mindfulness to 81 4^th grade students and 93 3^rd grade students over a period of four months.  This series was requested by the family resource coordinator, third grade teachers, and fourth grade teachers.  Topics discussed were developing a sense of self, stress management, and emotional regulation. Activities used were journaling, coloring, yoga, breathing exercises, identifying feelings, and practicing living in the present moment.   The 4-H Mindful Me, 4-H Yoga for Kids, and Stories, Songs, and Stretches curricula were utilized. 

            At the end of the four-part series, the evaluations showed the following as a result of the program:

1. 94% of the students said they were better able to identify their feelings.
2. 89% of the students said they had practiced the mindful techniques such as deep breathing and journaling.
3. 89% of the students stated they had better coping skills to help deal with their stresses and worries.
4. 86% practiced having more of a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset. 
5. 85% practiced being more present in their daily lives.
6. 84% said they had practiced being a bucket filler of kindness.
7. 83% said they felt they could handle their emotions in a more positive manner. 

One parent stated, “I appreciated my child learning a variety of mindfulness tools. Educating youth on how to understand their feelings, manage anxiety, and stress has made a huge impact on him. School days can be a bit scary and overwhelming for him, but the mindfulness tools have been helpful. For example, some mornings when he would complain about his belly hurting, he could relate that feeling to anxiety and would practice deep breathing. Other times when he would be scared to fall asleep at night, he remembered learning during the lessons to focus on the lights changing colors. He has used that mindful technique multiple times. Being mindful and understanding your feelings is a life lesson that can be overlooked in society. I am thrilled my student is getting this education at a young age.” 

One of the teachers stated, “These lessons are worth their weight in gold. Campbell County Extension does an excellent job teaching students about social emotional learning and giving strategies they can use in and outside of the classroom. My personal favorite is that kids learn any type of emotion is okay and very normal. I will sign up for this program every year. I am very thankful for this opportunity for my students.”  

 Picture caption: Practicing mindfulness by watching the lights change colors