Book Review
A short overview of this book
Mindfulness by Jayneen Sanders (Little Big Chats) is a lovely book for introducing young children to mindfulness. During challenging times, children can feel quite anxious. Learning mindfulness techniques from a young age will help them build resilience and reduce anxiety and stress as they grow into adulthood.
This book belongs to the Little BIG Chats series, which consists of 12 books that have been written to help parents to start talking about important topics. There’s a discussion guide at the back, with some pages of the book including helpful questions to ask your child as you read.
I really like this approach of a topic a book, and they would be a fantastic collection of books to have. It would be very easy to read a different one of these each night with your children.
There are 12 books in the Little BIG Chats series:
- Empathy: Exploring the meaning of empathy and kindness
- I Always Try: Developing a growth mindset of resilience and persistence
- Feelings: Understanding different feelings and emotions
- Everyone is Equal: Introducing the importance of gender equality and diversity
- Around the World: Celebrating the importance of racial equality and diversity
- Mindfulness: Exploring the importance of mindfulness and learning calming skills
- Families: Celebrating diversity in families
- Consent: Introducing consent and body boundaries
- My Safety Network: Introducing a Safety Network (3 to 5 trusted adults a child can go to if they feel unsafe)
- My Early Warning Signs: Exploring Early Warning Signs and what to do if a child experiences these signs
- Private Parts are Private: Learning private parts are private and what to do if touched inappropriately
- Secrets and Surprises: Learning the difference between secrets and surprises
The Body Safety titles should ideally be read in the following order: Consent, My Safety Network, My Early Warning Signs, Private Parts are Private, and Secrets and Surprises. The remaining titles can be read in any order.
You can learn more on this page, about how to talk to kids about sex education.
Ideal Age
Ideal for children aged 2 to 6 years.
Buy this book
✅ Buy a copy of Mindfulness by Jayneen Sanders (Little Big Chats) from Amazon.
Video Transcription
A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener
Hey there! Welcome to Sex Ed Rescue with Cath Hakanson. I’m here to help parents find an easier way to talk to their kids about love, sex, relationships, and growing up. Today, I want to share a review of a book that’s perfect for young children and focuses on mindfulness.
This book is part of the Little Big Chat series, which consists of 12 little books that tackle big topics. I absolutely love this approach! Each book dives into one topic at a time, making it easier for kids to understand. The one we’re talking about today is called Mindfulness: Exploring the Importance of Mindfulness and Learning Calming Skills by Janine Sanders.
Let me tell you, this book is a gem. It’s brand new, so the pages aren’t well thumbed yet, but that just means it’s fresh and ready for you to explore. At the beginning, there’s some helpful information for parents on how to use the book and what to expect. Then we meet Maisey, who tells us that we’re going to learn about being calm and enjoying each day.
Mindfulness is something we often hear about these days, and for good reason. In our busy lives, it’s crucial for kids to be in tune with themselves and learn to listen to their bodies. It’s an important life skill that they can carry into adulthood. The book explains what mindfulness is and even includes little questions on some pages to engage kids in the topic.
When their minds are busy, or they’re feeling worried or scared, the book guides them on what to do. It suggests finding a quiet spot, closing their eyes, and taking slow, deep breaths. It’s all about helping them ground themselves and find inner peace. And hey, don’t worry if you need to put the book down to turn the pages. We’ve all been there!
The book also encourages kids to use their imagination. They can imagine themselves going for a walk on the beach or in a park, feeling the sand between their toes. This is another form of mindfulness, and it’s great to see the book incorporating different activities.
Oh, and did I mention there are even some yoga poses for breathing? It’s a fantastic way to introduce kids to the practice of yoga and its benefits for mindfulness. This book truly plants the seeds of mindfulness in young minds and provides discussion questions and notes at the back to extend the conversation.
