Our Mindful Child, a learning center that promotes a child’s mental growth by teaching him the necessary holistic skills in weekly classes to prepare them for future success, opened in Little Neck this October. Founded by a clinical neuropsychologist, Our Mindful Child provides an intellectual early start for young children, from Kindergarten to fifth Grade.
The students are encouraged to attend two, 45-minute classes per week, Monday-Friday, but have the option to attend only one. On a weekly basis, the class topics rotate between social, emotional, and cognitive skills. The long-term goal is to help children acquire and practice these topics which will be used for day-to-day functioning as the child grows older.
Each class starts with a lesson that demonstrates the day’s topic. The students then participate in interactive-learning activities that let them brainstorm and practice these skills. Each class then ends with a review of the topic, showing how the children can implement it at home and school. If needed, a child may be assigned certain activities to be done at home.
“These skills are so needed because a lot of times parents put all their eggs in the academic basket at the expense of the holistic development of their child,” says Elsa Lee, Ph.D., M.A., Ed.M., program director of Our Mindful Child and psychologist. “It’s not just about making sure your kid is academically happy, but also about providing the skills necessary in getting them ready for their future, teaching them empathy, for example.”
The learning center bases its classes and topics on real-world research that has been proven to help children across the country.
“Researchers have followed children for twenty years, starting in Kindergarten, comparing the ones who had these holistic skills and those who didn’t,” says Dr. Lee. “Unsurprisingly, the children with the higher level of social skills had an easier time in college, getting hired, and staying out of trouble. The benefits are very well-established.”
Our Mindful Child also provides monthly parenting workshops for anyone needing guidance with their children. Registration for a free trial is now open. More information is available on the Our Mindful Child website.
Image courtesy Our Mindful Child.
