Do you have kids who jump out of bed in the morning, wide eyed and full of energy, ready to begin a new day with pep in their step and a smile on their face? Or is your child a little more difficult to get out of bed in the morning, sometimes refusing to open their eyes? If your not a morning person, then perhaps a child who isn't eager to jumpstart a new day is working for you! But … what about when there is a schedule to keep, a routine to follow and homeschool/distance learning to be done? How do we rouse our sleeping beauties, give them the boost they need to get moving and the focus they need to start their schoolwork? Here are 3 fun and easy ways to help those sleepy heads wake up and get the day started on the right foot.
- Morning gratitude– Talking about what your grateful for while your children are in bed and still a bit fuzzy as they come out of sleep is a wonderful way to begin the day with some positivity. An attitude of gratitude will go a long way! Snuggle up with your little ones, get cozy and start telling them all of the things your grateful for about this brand new day. I’m grateful to see your beautiful eyes opening. I’m grateful the sun is out today and we will get to play outside. I’m grateful its pancake day! Whatever you feel, whatever you can think of that puts a smile on your face, share it with your child. After you’ve shared a boat load of your own gratitude, invite your child to share what they are grateful for this morning. Maybe they will want to participate and maybe they won’t. Don’t push it or try to force them to share with you, just continue with this activity for a few mornings and see if they warm up to the idea. 😉 Even if they don’t choose to share they still get to wake up hearing about your gratitude which is a positive way to begin the day.
- Sun Dance– Wake up with a child friendly version of sun salutations. The sun dance is a series of yoga poses that are linked together with the breath to make a beautiful flow. The sun does so much for us – it gives us light, heat and makes things grow – and in turn we can salute and honor the sun with this beautiful dance that will wake up the body, warm up the muscles, get the blood pumping and energize the body! (video below)
- Alternate nostril breath – this is a great breath for children to practice before their lessons. In alternate nostril breathing, children practice breathing through just one nostril at a time. This breath slows the heart rate, relaxes the mind and the body, increases focus and attention and is calming, yet energizing. Because alternate nostril breathing also helps to relieve stress and anxiety, it can be used as a good breathing break if schoolwork is causing any angst. (video below)
Sun Dance | Alternate Nostril Breathing |
These three activities will help your kiddos wake up, energize and get focused for their school lessons. Enjoy, and have a great day!
To learn more yoga activities you can teach your children at home, check out my online course, Yoga Tools To Teach Your Children. *BONUS - For a limited time I’m offering access to my 4 class kids yoga series with purchase of this course.
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