Worksheet for Teaching Children Breathwork
Objective: This worksheet is designed to help parents teach and track the progress of breathwork techniques for their child. Breathwork helps children manage anxiety, stress, and other overwhelming emotions.
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1. Understanding Breathwork
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Explain to your child why breathwork is important:
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• Why we do breathwork:
“When we are feeling nervous or upset, our hearts might beat fast, and it can be hard to think clearly. But when we take slow, deep breaths, it helps calm our body and mind.”
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2. Breathwork Techniques
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Use these simple breathwork exercises with your child. Practice each one regularly and track their progress.
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1. Belly Breathing
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• How to do it:
Sit or lie down. Place a hand on your belly. Breathe in through your nose, feeling your belly rise,
and breathe out through your mouth, feeling your belly fall.
• Track it: Practice for 5 minutes daily, especially during moments of stress. 2. 4-7-8 Breathing
• How to do it: Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and breathe out for 8 seconds.
• Track it: Use before stressful events (e.g., before bed or a performance).
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Step 3: Qualitative Assessment
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At the end of each week, reflect on the following:
• What improvements have you noticed in your child’s behavior?
• How did applying consistency, boundaries, and structure affect your family’s overall dynamic?
• Which of the 11 Commandments of Parenting was the hardest to implement, and why? •
• What changes did you notice in your own emotional state as you applied more structure and discipline?
• Step 4: Quantitative Progress Tracking Rate the following from 1-10 each week:
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3. Box Breathing
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• How to do it:
Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts, and pause for 4 counts. Repeat.
• Track it:
Ideal for stressful situations such as school, tests, or bedtime.
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3. Making It a Routine
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Breathwork is more effective when it becomes a habit. Choose times during the day when you and your child can practice.
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Suggested Routine:
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• Morning before school
• After lunch or before a nap
• Before bed
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4. Encouraging Self-Awareness
Help your child identify when they are feeling nervous or upset. Use this space to write down moments when breathwork helped them calm down:
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Example:
“I felt nervous before my test, so I did the 4-7-8 breathing, and it made me feel calm.”
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5. Quantitative Tracking of Progress
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Rate your child’s comfort and effectiveness with each technique from 1 to 5 (1 being uncomfortable, 5 being very comfortable).
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6. Qualitative Reflection
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Ask your child how they feel about using breathwork techniques. Use these prompts to get their feedback:
1. How do you feel after doing your breathing exercises?
2. When do you think breathwork helps you the most?
3. Is there a time when you feel breathwork wasn’t helpful? Why do you think that was?
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By tracking your child’s progress and regularly practicing breathwork, you are equipping them with a lifelong skill for managing their emotions in a healthy, effective way.
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