Episode 80: Peace of Mind - Practicing Mindfulness with Kids

Summary: In this episode, Jodi Speaks with Kathryn Greenberg Wilcox who is a Mindfulness expert from Sarasota, FL. While Kathryn may not be a biological mother, she considers the many individuals that she works with within her community to be as if they are her own children. Kathryn believes in “family by choice” and that a mother is not necessarily defined by genetics. Tune in to hear Jodi & Kathryn discuss an array of topics surrounding the mindfulness field including: why mindfulness is a must in everyday life, the power of breathing, and how to teach your children mindfulness.

About Our Guest:  Kathryn Greenberg Wilcox is a mindfulness maven who has worked in educational settings with children and adults using Mindfulness based practices. Among her accomplishments is a life-skills course she developed for women in jail designed to help them choose effectively, reduce recidivism, and engage in a Life Worth Living.  

Show Notes:
2:17 Why is Mindfulness a must in everyday life? 
“So much of what we’re seeing today especially with the addiction epidemic and just general dysregulation is that children especially, but really all humans, need to learn to regulate their emotions” 

4:05 Mindfulness without meditation?
“The idea of mindfulness and meditation is to do one thing at a time, with your mind, body, and spirit” 

 6:10 The power of YOUR breath
“Sometimes people get flustered, and they say, “I can’t breathe” but my response is: if you can talk, you can breathe. So, be mindful that you can breathe but when it’s shallow and rapid it may feel that way and then the emotions kick in, making you feel overwhelmed...” 

 10:28 Your children and mindfulness 
“Children seek attention, right? So we are very good at labels. Parents might think “Well, this is attention seeking behavior” and if you sort of shift that and change that to connection seeking or relationship seeking, watch how their perspective shifts” 

 11:45 Mindfulness Through the Pandemic
“Kids are not going to remember specific things about this virus, they’ll remember the energy in the house, the feelings that came in the house, and so they are going to watch you and they are going to learn from you. So, be aware that you have the chance to wire them for resiliency, rather than panic, rather than stress or concern…”

13:03 Treating your child’s emotions mindfully   
“A lot of parenting is tolerating and sitting with your children when they have these big emotions that are completely overwhelming..so when you're sitting with your child who may be struggling or is overwhelmed, and you may be as well, let that child know that it is okay to feel however you are feeling…”

17:32 Mindfulness to overcome adversity 
“I’ve been through 7 treatment centers, I’ve struggled with a suicide attempt and lots of years of self harm and when I walked out of my last treatment center, I said “that’s it, this is it for me, today is the day things are going to shift and I made that choice and I make that choice every single day to live.”

Connect with Kathryn Wilcox:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kak.greenberg
Website: alifeworthliving.life  
Email Jodi at: jodi@loveadventuremom.com 

Credits:
Host: Jodi Fried
Guest: Kathryn Greenberg Wilcox
Editor: Autumn Michels & Max Suib