To complain to the school.

[runforthesun]

Dd has had a letter from school to say that they will be having an hour long session in mindfulness every week when they return to school. Dd is fairly bright but does struggle a bit with maths. AIBU to complain to school that at this point in her education I would rather she was getting up to speed on academic subjects ? I don't think IABU but am prepared to be told I am. If it makes a difference they are 8 and 9 year olds.

[DonutParade]

I'd rather they played with kittens for an hour.

[MakeItRain]

DonutParade what a wonderful idea! I think that would transform my dd's view of school

[SandunesAndRainclouds]

I was told by a high school pastoral leader that as many as 1:3 girls suffer anxiety, poor self worth / esteem and suicidal thoughts - if this is true then YABU and giving children tools to take forward into adolescence is a good thing. I agree with a PP that shorter sessions daily would be better.

[RandomDent]

Sounds like the school is trying to protect children from the shite the government is raining down on them.

[winewolfhowls]

The nature day school sounds great. Just what children need.

With the mindfulness I would worry that the training and resources for it would have to come out of an already thinly stretched school budget.

[brasty]

80% of adults report issues with anxiety. Some anxiety is normal and we should not pathologise this. The issue is when anxiety stops us living our daily life.

[Fartleks]

Mindfulness is an enriching beneficial idea. your children already do hours of academic work each week. Life and education is wider then maths, English etc

[Yogimummy123]

Good idea, resilience very important for kids (&ultimately unis/employers?). An hour seems a bit long but maybe worth asking/seeing what they're actually doing 1st before complaining..?

[EstelleRoberts]

I think it is wonderful the school is teaching mindfulness. If it is done well it will benefit the children for life. However, one hour is far too long for any beginner, let alone children. 10 minutes would be plenty at that age. Hopefully they will not be sitting for that long, and a large part of the class will focus on teaching them how to be more mindful in how they go about their daily life, not just during formal practice.

[Heifer]

I've just asked my DD (13, yr 8) if she has mindfulness lessons and apparently she does. It's part of RE lessons (says RE on the timetable but they were told 1 hour every 2 weeks would be a mindfulness lesson). It's delivered from one of her PE teachers who I think is one of their main mentors so assume she has had some special training.

Sadly as DD is now 13 I can't get any further information out of her except that it's rubbish. I'm happy that it's covered within RE timetable, and sounds like the school are trying to help with Mental Health issues. If only I knew what they actually covered...

[FearandLoathinginLasVegas]

Google mindfulness - absolutely masses of research to say that it is doing young children loads of good in loads of different subjects. Sounds great. I wish we could get it.

[GhostOfChristmasYetToCome]

In the 'olden days' children would have time in the afternoon to chill, the afternoon lessons would be less structured and less academic.

Children have so little time to just 'be' at school now that I think this is a really good idea.

I'd like to think it would be broken down in to daily bursts rather than one hour long weekly session though.

But this is an incredibly positive thing to be brought into the classroom.

Children only struggle with 'academic' subjects now because they have ever increasingly demanding expectations made of them. Children are not machines or vessels to be filled with stuff.

I would much rather see schools abandon an 'intervention' session in favour or mindfulness, tbh.

[deliverdaniel]

YANBU. the evidence for the efficacy of mindfulness training, especially in schools has been hugely overstated. See:

blogs.plos.org/mindthebrain/2016/11/16/unintended-consequences-of-universal-mindfulness-training-for-schoolchildren/

[EweAreHere]

Our primary school does this. It's ridiculous. The children aren't impressed.

[Mistigri]

Is it an hour all in one go or perhaps 4 x 15 minute sessions?

Either way, I'd want to know

• what is being proposed
  
• how it is being taught
  
• what evidence there is for teaching this stuff to small children (none, I suspect)
  
• how it relates to the curriculum
  

My 15 yo signed up to a mindfulness class with her biology teacher. Turns out that it's a waste of time and the main threat to DD's mental health this year is the very same mad biology teacher who frequently loses it in class ... So much for mindfulness lol.

[Newbrummie]

I wish they'd do this with teens. My DD and her friends are up the bloody wall over GCSEs

[Newbrummie]

Oh well something that works then if not mindfulness

[randomeragain]

up until fairly recently little uns used to have a nap on day beds.

What a sad state we have created......thanks Maggie

[randomeragain]

god its so sad....very minute planned for. cant they just play, make things, dance

[Fresta]

I don't know how on earth the school has time for this sort of stuff? I wish schools could teach academic subjects, more art, more playing for the younger ones and more P.E.

[EstelleRoberts]

deliver I can't comment on the quality of the evidence for the efficacy of mindfulness when taught in school, but there is a wealth of evidence for its efficacy in the adult population, particularly with respect to preventing recurrence of depression. This is thought to be because it teaches the ability to regulate emotions, which will be of enormous benefit to children.

[tinytemper66]

I was on a course recently. The course leader stated that in the next few years will see cuts in MH provision across all authorities in England and Wales. This will mean teachers and schools picking up the pieces. If this can be addressed early on the children will know what to do and who to turn to if they need to seek help. So, whilst you may feel that Maths is a priority so is MH.

[SuburbanRhonda]

It won't be done well. Schools don't have the expertise and systems to teach this sort of stuff well

Not necessarily true. We are lucky to have a BACP-registered counsellor working in our school. She's also trained in mindfulness so if we decided to go this way we already have someone on the staff who could deliver it. I think it's a great idea done properly.

[pippitysqueakity]

Not sure if good or not idea, but just from my experience, the training not a PowerPoint but a fairly intensive 8 week programme and we are not allow d to pass on to learners without 6months self practice and a further intense course.