How Meditation Music Calms My Kids & I

a woman in a hammock meditating

Hi Lovelies,

Hope you are well. Today I am sharing a breakthrough about how meditation music calms my kids and I daily. I discovered the amazing benefits of listening to meditation style music and the calming effect it has on my kids by chance one day. I had been stressed out and feeling frazzled towards the end of the summer holidays from school. After 2 months of constant demands, tantrums and whingeing I literally couldn’t get a break.

The thing is, living remotely I don’t have a babysitter and my partner works long hours so I was feeling pretty frustrated and generally worn out. I was practically counting down the days until my 3 year old went back to play school and my 18 month old was starting in the creche. Sounds bad but also relatable to some, in the same situation. Just having some quiet time was practically impossible since my ‘threenager’ decided she didn’t want to do afternoon naps or even go to bed at a reasonable hour at night.

It was hard to get my 18month old to sleep at night if I was constantly going up and down the stairs to my 3 year old and the wingeing and wailing would wake her so I sort of gave up! I would let my 3 year old stay up until 10 or sometimes even later just to let the baby sleep. This turned out to be a routine and so sooner or later the threenager decided she wasn’t going to bed at all anymore. I would have to wait until she fell asleep on the couch at night! Eventually this meant she was watching tv until all hours (just for a small bit of peace). I know I shouldn’t have gave in but  once it became a habit it was so hard to break.

There would be tantrums and screams if I tried to get her to bed, thus resulting in the baby waking and unable to sleep. Sometimes I tried to put my 3 year old to bed first but she would always just whinge and cry until I let her come back down, probably because she doesn’t like her little sister being up playing while she is in bed. All of this meant that she was overtired, over stimulated and used to being the boss. I had lost control and all because I was just so tired and frustrated that I kind of gave up and gave in.

I knew I couldn’t keep this up forever so I was at my wits end. One day, my Mum was here on holidays and we were sitting at home playing with the kids and all of a sudden we heard this meditation music playing. It was quite loud but it was so calming. My partner had recently bought an Amazon Alexa speaker so I assumed he had plugged it in upstairs and it randomly started playing. I went upstairs to check but it wasn’t there so I couldn’t figure out where this calming meditation music was coming from.

After a while, we both noticed that the kids were very calm and quiet. They were playing away nicely together, for a change! They normally scream and fight together as the threenager always has to be the boss, taking all the toys and exerting power over the little one. Sounds crazy but this has been the same way since our precious bundle of joy came home from the hospital. Actually my 3 year old was just really shocked at first that the new baby was living in our house, then dismayed that she was beginning to take the limelight.

I tried so hard to give her as much attention but it was inevitable she would feel a bit jealous. She just stared at the new baby for around 2 weeks. We started letting her help by feeding and getting her her own baby doll to play with but she definitely felt put out.

Fast forward to when it came the time to share toys with the baby. She refused point blank, even insisting that any toys or presents given to the baby were hers! We were feeling a little guilty about the whole scenario and I really sympathised with her so we just let her take the toys. Sadly, she never really grew out of that and so to this day, she takes the toys and won’t share. At the moment the baby only has a favourite teddy which she never takes from her. Everything else is fair game.

Naturally that causes regular screaming matches and snatching etc. Now that baby is a little more advanced and now spends time at the creche, she is much stronger and willing to fight back. This is funny sometimes but also stressful as there is always some rivalry and chaos going on. All the shouting and screaming is quite tiring as I end up shouting too and it makes my stress levels through go the roof!

Anyway, getting back to my story about the mysterious calming meditation music. We couldn’t believe how much calmer the kids were and I mentioned it to Mum who immediately confirmed it. She said to me ‘Now you know the answer! Put on that meditation music and they’ll be quiet as little mice!’. I laughed but agreed that I would be trying this out daily if it would help. The lovely meditation music went on for a few hours and I soon discovered that it was coming from the next door neighbours house. Normally no one lived there and they just use it as a holiday home. They probably only come once a year so I figured they must be there on holidays. I was a bit embarrassed because they were probably trying to drown out the frequent screaming and crying from ours!

Either way, it did me a favour because it helped me solve a huge issue. I realised that I myself was feeling much calmer, relaxed and generally happier and less stressed. With the kids playing calmly and no constant demands and whingeing, we sat and drank tea enjoying long chats. It was hugely therapeutic and I was grateful to the neighbour for introducing me to the music. I often meditate at home but I never had the idea of putting the music on loud and just having it on in the background. When you think about it, it makes sense really.

a music quote - you are what u listen to

Nowadays, we get up and have our breakfast, then I put on the calming music and it calms the kids and I almost immediately, setting us up for a relaxing day. Granted, it is no miracle cure for tantrums and screaming but it genuinely helps with their mood. Of course, this in turn helps me have a more relaxing and productive day. Now I have no problem getting both to bed at a reasonable hour and the tantrums and whingeing have decreased considerably.

I decided to read up about it afterwards as I was intrigued that I had never heard of this on the many blogs and forums I had read in the past. Here was one interesting topic I read on the subject –

The Robert W. Coleman Elementary School in Baltimore, USA have replaced detention with meditation sessions. Children are sent to a meditation room which is filled with cushions for practicing meditation. They focus on breathing techniques and meditation practices. This approach helps to defuse disruptive emotions and evoke a sense of calm. They are also encouraged to talk about their behaviour in a safe environment and reflect on their actions in a mindful way. Meditation can help them connect and understand their emotions.

Being able to talk about how they feel could be a huge relief. I really believe this kind of mental awareness is a breakthrough. Hopefully the days of pupils being sent to write lines or sit and write meaningless essays will soon be gone.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if every school had a meditation room and even classes? I think it would really help with behaviour. I encourage meditation in general for everyone, as it has changed my life for the better.

a child meditating calmly

Why not give it a try? I think it benefits everyone, all ages. They say that Buddhist monks are among the happiest people in the world. Did you know that they spend most of their day meditating? Maybe that can tell us something about the power of the mind.

So that is why I decided to share this with you today. I feel as though I should spread the word. Even if you are unable to meditate for any reason, just put on some meditation music as you go about your business. If you have kids, then why not try having some calming meditation music on in the room where they play? You might be surprised!

You could listen to it in the car on the way to work, or anywhere for that matter. I find it helps keep the kids quiet in the car too, which makes for a more relaxing drive. I have started listening to it all the time now. When I blog, I have it on in the background so I subconsciously want to listen to it. It has become a habit now.

Have you tried listening to meditation music? You can find lots of free guided meditation music on YouTube or Google search. If you want you can go online or to a music store or book shop to check out what else is available too. There are plenty to be found on iTunes if you know what you want. I tend to listen to the ones without the talking but that is just my own preference so have a listen to some different ones and see what you enjoy. It can be a wonderful sleep aid too, so try if you are having trouble sleeping properly.

So that is how meditation music calms my kids and I daily. Hope you enjoy the process and let me know how it goes for you!

Good luck x

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