Growing Self-Compassionate Children

​​Integrating self-compassion practice into family life is a profound gift that parents can give to their children—and to themselves. This book offers advice, encouragement, and engaging activities to make self-compassion an active practice for the whole family.

Self-compassion—being kind to yourself when things are hard—is a valuable quality for parents to model and to cultivate in their children—and studies show that it also builds emotional resilience.
     This guide for parents explains the benefits of teaching children about self-compassion, and it offers advice, encouragement, and practices to enrich family life. Wendy O’Leary and Louise Shanagher, who have an extensive background and expertise in mindfulness, children’s education, and psychology, introduce the basic concepts of self-compassion, along with the benefits and the research that supports the practice.  
     In communicating self-compassion to children, the authors emphasize the importance of focusing on a child’s inherent value rather than on their external achievements and specify the benefits of “self-compassion” over “self-esteem.” Crucially, they show us that self-compassion also includes an embodied, felt sense of deep care and love for ourselves. 
     This guide includes over 70 activities, crafts, games, and meditations that introduce children to the mindfulness, common humanity, and kindness components of self-compassion. The authors guide parents on how to integrate these practices into the fabric of family life, encouraging and supporting parents to integrate self-compassion as a way of “being.”

Auteur
​​WENDY O’LEARY​, M.Ed., is an educator, author, and public speaker with expertise in mindfulness, self-compassion, and social and emotional learning for children. She is trained in mindful self-compassion, trauma-informed yoga, and mindfulness and is a member of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association.

LOUISE SHANAGHER is a mindfulness educator, children’s therapist, author, and founder of the Creative Mindfulness Kids Organization. Based in Ireland, Shanagher has a BA and MSc in psychology and further qualifications in mindfulness, psychotherapy, and play therapy.

Texte du rabat

"A guide for parents on the benefits of teaching children about self-compassion, offering advice, encouragement, and practices to enrich family life"--