Michigan preschoolers often have behavioral health issues. Some people suffer from anxiety disorders and experience fear or panic in front of teachers or classmates. Some people also exhibit attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, which causes them to have trouble concentrating or become overactive. People living with autism may have poor social skills and difficulty communicating. Preschoolers with behavioral disorders may also become aggressive, feel angry toward others, and easily lose their temper.
“Behavioral problems in preschoolers result in emotional dysregulation and an inability to sustain the agitation that would normally be expected,” says Cody Benjamin, director of children’s programs. community action agency, which manages Head Start programs in Jackson, Hillsdale, and Lenawee counties. “What we’re seeing in Jackson County is higher rates of physical aggression, including punching, kicking, biting, in some cases throwing, hair pulling. We’re using mental health consultants more than ever before. I’m taking advantage of it.”
To address the behavioral health needs of young children in Jackson County’s Head Start program, the City of Benjamin recently welcomed a pilot project to introduce mindfulness activities to preschoolers and their families. The pilot is based on research conducted by Dr. Jiying Lin, associate professor and assistant director of doctoral programs at the university. Michigan State University School of Nursinghas been conducting research to improve the health of preschoolers in Michigan for over 10 years.
Head Start students at St. John’s Universalist Church of Christ in Jackson learn about cucumbers and dragon fruit during a lesson on mindful eating.
“I work with childcare workers and parents to develop interventions to promote not only children’s physical health but also their mental health,” says Rei. “Our previous research has shown that mindful eating and mindfulness activities, such as deep breathing, can help children develop a sense of gratitude for food and calming activities. Masu. [their] feeling. “
Dealing with challenges through mindfulness
Benjamin points out that Head Start programs have a high percentage of students with disabilities that cause language delays. As a result, they lack the necessary skills to communicate their feelings and emotions.
“Especially in our institutions, we are seeing an increasing proportion of children experiencing trauma,” she says. “The majority of our students are in foster care, child protective services, or below 100% of poverty guidelines, which increases the rate of behavioral health concerns in our classrooms. I can see that you are.”
Additionally, she believes the COVID-19 pandemic has had a lasting impact on students, parents and staff. Preschoolers typically have opportunities to interact with peers and community members during their first three years of life, but not all children born in 2020-2021 will have those opportunities. Meeting other children in the classroom can be difficult.
“Kids’ needs are a little different. Families’ needs are a little different,” Benjamin says.
The new pilot study National Complementary Center
integrative healthwill test whether and how mindfulness-based food-body-mind interventions can optimize cognitive and behavioral health in young children. The goal is to provide children with tools to help them relax and manage uncomfortable emotions. Interventions include yoga, deep breathing, and mindful movement. The program also focuses on mindful eating, a novel approach among youth mindfulness programs.
“We teach children to use their five senses to learn about different fruits and vegetables, to be mindful while eating, to eat slowly, and to feel their bodies and stomachs to decide how much to eat.” helps children develop positive relationships with food,” says Lin. . “We hope that children will develop important resilience skills that will enable them to deal with future life events with thoughtfulness and care.”
Head Start students at St. John’s Universalist Church of Christ in Jackson learn about cucumbers and dragon fruit during a lesson on mindful eating.
Mindful eating can help calm the classroom while also helping picky eaters expand the range of what they eat to include healthier foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Children are more likely to try new foods when they are with their peers than when they are pressured by their parents to stay at home.
One parent who participated in the pilot spoke with Lin about her daughter: She said: “There were some things that her daughter had never tried and she wouldn’t try, but now she eats a variety of fruits and vegetables and that’s something to teach her.” They are, and it doesn’t matter if she likes them or not. ”
With diet-related diseases and conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and eating disorders on the rise, mindful eating makes perfect sense. Another parent said, “My 4-year-old has become very health conscious lately and is eating lots of fruits and vegetables and has stopped putting sugar on his strawberries.”
Head Start students at St. John’s Universalist Church of Christ in Jackson learn about cucumbers and dragon fruit during a lesson on mindful eating.
Parents will also be involved in the mindfulness pilot. By helping parents learn and practice mindful eating, mindful movement, and mindful parenting at home, parents can learn how to bring awareness, attention, and curiosity into their interactions with their children. .
“This promotes a positive relationship between parent and child and promotes a happy home environment for the child’s growth and development,” says Lin. “We teach parents to practice mindful communication with their families, which means paying attention to their breathing, being open to what others are saying, knowing how to ask appropriate questions, and paying attention to facial expressions and He responded encouragingly by saying, “Actively listen by mirroring and matching your actions.”
Benjamin involves parents in mindfulness activities not only because parents are the child’s first teachers, but also because what happens outside of school hours has an equal or greater impact on the child’s development. We believe that this is important.
Head Start students at St. John’s Universalist Church of Christ in Jackson learn about cucumbers and dragon fruit during a lesson on mindful eating.
“We encourage parents to engage with their children in appropriate ways,” she says. “What I found most helpful was what I heard from parents. They were excited to learn how to respond when a tantrum occurs and how to control themselves when they are affected by many stressors. I am.”
Data on the pilot has not yet been evaluated, but the pilot has already received positive feedback from participating teachers and parents.
Mindfulness in other Michigan schools
Utilizing mindfulness to help children regulate their emotions and develop resilience is nothing new in Michigan classrooms.programs like mindful schoolUniversity of Michigan trail program, and inner explorerMindful Michigan is bringing similar mindfulness activities to schools across the state.
Inner Explorer is a national nonprofit organization focused on transforming mental health, academic achievement, and school safety from within. Approximately 5,000 schools across the country use the program.
“Mindful Michigan has been in response to the national mental health crisis for just a few years, with a vision to provide proactive mental health prevention and support to every child in our state. “It started before,” said Inner Explorer Regional Director David Mettler. For the Midwest. “We need more adults trained to deal with the challenges, chronic stress, trauma and safety concerns that young people face.”
Mettler finds it inspiring to watch preschoolers develop mindfulness skills that increase their ability to regulate their own behavior and build resilience that helps them overcome trauma. Masu.
“The great success of Head Start programs relies on early intervention and support for success,” he says. “When you look at the research, it’s really unfortunate that young people, like preschoolers, don’t have access to these types of supports that are so important for dealing with chronic stress and trauma. , it’s such a bummer to actually start tapping into your own inner voice and inner voice.” Get the experience of being able to make wise choices and not get caught up in your emotions. ”
The Inner Explorer platform for preschoolers requires 5 minutes of practice each day and an additional 1-2 minutes of transition practice.Principal Erin Dixon fortis academy in Ypsilanti reported that the platform reduced “behavioral events” by 16% year over year. Across the country, schools participating in the Inner Explorer program are achieving these and more. 60% reduction in problem behaviors.
“Academic success is also increasing,” Mettler said. “That’s not surprising. It’s important to be calm and ready to learn, and to develop these skills of attention and concentration.”
Estelle Slootmaker is a writer whose work focuses on journalism, book editing, communications, poetry, and children’s books. Estelle.Slootmaker@gmail.com or www.constellations.biz.
All photos posted by Doug Combe.
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