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Mindfulness in Early Childhood

Mindfulness is growing in popularity just about everywhere. Parenting and early childhood settings are no exception. There is good reason for this enthusiasm. Mindfulness has been used with adults to reduce stress, bolster overall health and psychological functioning, and assist a return to wellness following adversity. We are learning that mindfulness may also support healthy adult-child relationships.

In 2018, ZERO TO THREE set out to explore the topic of mindfulness to learn what the research says about mindfulness in parenting and caregiving through a comprehensive literature review. Through focus groups and a member survey, we also asked early childhood professionals about how they are using mindfulness in their work, and their hopes for integrating mindfulness further. The resources offered here were developed to share what we have learned from the research and the field, and represent the beginning of our effort at ZERO TO THREE to increase understanding of how mindfulness can support early childhood development.