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Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

nytimes.com

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Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#11

Post by mapcars »

hvidgaard wrote: post #5
mapcars wrote: post #2

>“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added. Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children? Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. It's us who should learn from them. big facepalm

Have it ever occurred to you that adults have mental problems because they didn't learn to manage it as children and young adults? Besides, depression and anxiety is surprisingly common among children.

>Besides, depression and anxiety is surprisingly common among children.

Whom do you think they learned this from? Trees or cats?

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#12

Post by yoz-y »

fiala__ wrote: post #3
mapcars wrote: post #2

>“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added. Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children? Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. It's us who should learn from them. big facepalm

> Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. Have you ever met a child IRL?

I don't think that children who have problems with happiness or well-being will be helped by teaching them mindfulness.

I was a lucky kid, but those around me who had problems had them because they were excluded from groups, got parents divorced, were bullied or were simply spoiled by their parents and were unhappy if anything didn't go their way. Telling them to be mindful is straight out of Voltaire's Candide.

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#13

Post by icebraining »

mapcars wrote: post #11
hvidgaard wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have it ever occurred to you that adults have mental problems because they didn't learn to manage it as children and young adults? Besides, depression and anxiety is surprisingly common among children.

>Besides, depression and anxiety is surprisingly common among children. Whom do you think they learned this from? Trees or cats?

Even assuming depression must be "learned", what does it matter? School can't make sure they're never around depressed people. But it can help them protect themselves from it.

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#14

Post by mapcars »

aurbano wrote: post #7
mapcars wrote: post #2

>“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added. Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children? Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. It's us who should learn from them. big facepalm

You were a very lucky child then :) Edit: Apologies for the sarcastic response, couldn't help it. Children can and do feel unhappy, some more than others. This feels like an amazing step in the right direction because many people (myself included) don't learn early on that feeling sad or overwhelmed is normal and ok. We strive to "feel good" and stress about it, without tools to cope. Most adults either ignore this o…

>many people (myself included) don't learn early on that feeling sad or overwhelmed is normal and ok

Until someone told you what is normal and what is not you have no problems doing something. So it's not about being sad is ok, it's about not judging at all.

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#15

Post by 076ae80a-3c97-4 »

mapcars wrote: post #2

>“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added. Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children? Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. It's us who should learn from them. big facepalm

You're gatekeeping metal health problems.

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#16

Post by icebraining »

yoz-y wrote: post #12
fiala__ wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. Have you ever met a child IRL?

I don't think that children who have problems with happiness or well-being will be helped by teaching them mindfulness. I was a lucky kid, but those around me who had problems had them because they were excluded from groups, got parents divorced, were bullied or were simply spoiled by their parents and were unhappy if anything didn't go their way. Telling them to be mindful is straight out of Voltaire's Candide.

News articles don't stop at the title. The classes involve more than just "telling them to be mindful".

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#18

Post by fiala__ »

yoz-y wrote: post #12
fiala__ wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. Have you ever met a child IRL?

I don't think that children who have problems with happiness or well-being will be helped by teaching them mindfulness. I was a lucky kid, but those around me who had problems had them because they were excluded from groups, got parents divorced, were bullied or were simply spoiled by their parents and were unhappy if anything didn't go their way. Telling them to be mindful is straight out of Voltaire's Candide.

I'm no mental health expert but isn't mindfulness a proven method for improving one's mental health?

Schools can't fix dysfunctional families. All they can do is give kids some tools to cope with such challenges. Even if it doesn't help a particular child, why would it be wrong to at least try?

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#19

Post by ionised »

mapcars wrote: post #11
hvidgaard wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have it ever occurred to you that adults have mental problems because they didn't learn to manage it as children and young adults? Besides, depression and anxiety is surprisingly common among children.

>Besides, depression and anxiety is surprisingly common among children. Whom do you think they learned this from? Trees or cats?

You are asserting that depression is a learned behaviour?

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#20

Post by kitd »

mapcars wrote: post #2

>“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added. Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children? Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. It's us who should learn from them. big facepalm

I suggest you RTFA before facepalming.

It is as much about being literate in the issues as it is about solving them.

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