Explain what mindfulness and meditation are. It’s really just about bringing our attention to the breath on purpose, so we can learn to be calmer, kinder, and less distracted at home, at school, and with friends.

Lead by example. Kids are prone to mirror the actions of their parents, so lead by example and make it a fun activity that can be done together.

Start off short and simple. This is especially true for kids under 5, where we would recommend a 1-2 minute meditation (the Kids section in Headspace is listed by age and length of meditation).

Choose a safe space. Find a place in the house that feels calming and safe to your child. This could be their bedroom or a family room where they spend lots of time and is familiar to them.

Pick the right time. Bedtime is a great time to start, it helps set up a routine that helps kids unwind for a restful sleep.

Practice gratitude. A gratitude exercise can be a nice way to start or end the day. You can introduce children to the concept of gratitude or “thankfulness” by asking them their thoughts on what it means. It could be as simple as feeling happy that something or someone is in your life. Highlight that we can be grateful for the big things and the small things.

• Exercise to do with your child: Ask them to close their eyes and get them to think of the first three things that come to mind when they think about what they are grateful for. Now ask them to think about the smaller things they are grateful for — you could write these things down together.

Encourage feeling emotions. It’s okay to feel sad or angry sometimes. If kids are in touch with their emotions and are open to sharing their feelings, they will be able to cope with them and handle them in a positive way.