The Self-Compassion Workbook for Kids - by Lorraine M Hobbs & Amy C Balentine (Paperback)

About the Book

Research shows that mindfulness and self-compassion can improve children's self-image and confidence, expand their capacity for learning, and increase their ability to handle life's many challenges. In this fun and engaging workbook for kids ages 5-9, the cofounder of the Making Friends with Yourself program offers essential self-compassion and mindfulness skills to help kids be kind to themselves and others, and build the emotional strength and resilience needed to thrive.

Book Synopsis

Fun, engaging, hands-on activities to help kids ages 5-9 be kind to themselves and others, and build the emotional strength and resilience needed to thrive!

Children today face many challenges; and if you are a parent, teacher, or a professional working with kids, you may be seeking answers on how to help children thrive in a world filled with uncertainty, adversity, and the detrimental effects of social media and screen time overload. There are tools you can use to help kids build confidence and resilience, and cope effectively with difficult situations. This workbook is packed with a variety of hands-on practices to help children thrive--with kindness toward themselves and others.

In this fun and engaging workbook, the cofounder of the Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens (MSC-T) program offers essential self-compassion and mindfulness skills to help kids build emotional strength and resilience. Kids will find simple, age-appropriate practices based in loving-kindness and gratitude to self-soothe, reduce stress, and respond to their own emotional needs. They'll also learn to make kindness their "superpower," quiet their inner bully, and protect and befriend themselves.

Activities in the book are designed to facilitate experiential learning, and include:

• Mindfulness meditations
• Reflective journaling
• Hands-on mindful movement activities
• Arts and crafts activities

Self-compassion and emotional resilience are cornerstones of mental health, and research shows that teaching these skills to children when they are young can have lasting, positive effects--well into adulthood. With this workbook as a guide, kids will learn to be a better friend to themselves and others, and thrive in a stress-filled world.

Review Quotes

"As both a parent and teacher, this workbook by Hobbs and Balentine, The Self-Compassion Workbook for Kids, is my new go-to for teaching, sharing, and supporting kids in learning self-compassion. It's packed full of so many fun, engaging, and supporting practices that are not only essential to help kids, but also an excellent resource for anyone who teaches, parents, and supports the children of our world. This practical and accessible guide will truly change how we can bring the practices of self-compassion to kids."
--Lisa Baylis, MEd, teacher, counselor, and author of Self-Compassion for Educators--Lisa Baylis, MEd

"Dear Kids, this lovely book takes you on a journey to discover your inner superpower of kindness and mindfulness. You'll have fun, play games, make crafts, enjoy nature, and learn how to tame your inner dragon and make friends with your inner bully all at the same time!"
--Dzung X. Vo, MD, author of The Mindful Teen--Dzung X. Vo, MD

"Full of creative and engaging exercises, this gem of a book guides children in developing and practicing the self-compassion that allows us to flourish."
--Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance and Trusting the Gold--Tara Brach

"Hobbs and Balentine have crafted an engaging psychoeducational workbook on self-compassion for youth. The book expertly scaffolds readers from breathing exercises to emotion regulation and values exploration, and includes cleverly linked audio tracks, written mindfulness exercises, yoga, craft activities, and fun educational challenges. It invites children to learn about kindness, compassion, and mindfulness through workbook tasks and added practices. As a child psychologist and author, I highly recommend it!"
--Amy R. Murrell, PhD, licensed psychologist; coauthor of The Joy of Parenting; and author of The Becca Epps Series about Bending Your Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors--Amy R. Murrell, PhD

"If you are a parent, grandparent, or work with children, I strongly recommend you pick up this book and keep it handy. Full of practical exercises you can use today, it is a beautiful and accessible handbook for helping kids develop the lifelong healthy habit of self-compassion, which we now know is a key building block of psychological resilience and well-being. As a bonus, when you practice with kids, you are sure to benefit as well."
--Cassandra Vieten, PhD, executive director of the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation; acting director of the Center for Mindfulness at the University of California, San Diego; and author of Mindful Motherhood--Cassandra Vieten, PhD

"Lorraine and Amy have created a treasure trove of practices that will help children and their grown-ups cultivate kindness and compassion inside themselves and in the world around them."
--Christopher Willard, PsyD, faculty at Harvard Medical School, and coauthor of Alphabreaths--Christopher Willard, PsyD

"Lorraine Hobbs and Amy Balentine's The Self-Compassion Workbook for Kids is remarkable in its simplicity and usefulness. Its lovely, accessible format gives kids and their caregivers a step-by-step approach to experiencing self-compassion directly, and becoming their own best friend. Highly recommended."
--Susan Kaiser Greenland, author of The Mindful Child, Mindful Games, and The Inner Kids Program--Susan Kaiser Greenland

"Self-compassion is a powerful resource for coping with whatever life sends our way. When adults learn it, they often say, 'Why didn't I learn this sooner?' Well, now we can start to learn at the earliest possible age. This superb workbook captures the depth and scope of self-compassion in simple, totally delightful practices and activities. Highly recommended for parents, teachers, therapists, and anyone who loves kids."
--Christopher Germer, PhD, lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, codeveloper of the Mindful Self-Compassion program, and author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion--Christopher Germer, PhD

"This book is a fabulous resource for children, parents, teachers, and grandparents. The authors make self-compassion accessible and fun, which is no small feat. Packed with creative games and activities, it is both practical and delightful. In fact, it is good for children of all ages!"
--Susan M. Pollak, EdD, cofounder of the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion at Harvard Medical School, and author of Self-Compassion for Parents--Susan M. Pollak, EdD

About the Author

Lorraine M. Hobbs, MA, is founding director of the family and education programs at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Center for Mindfulness. Hobbs is cocreator of the mindful self-compassion for teens (MSC-T) program, and codeveloper of the MSC-T teacher training pathway. She is a certified teacher of mindful self-compassion (MSC), compassion cultivation training (CCT), and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Hobbs is an MBSR mentor at the UCSD Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute. She is also codeveloper of A Friend in Me: Self-Compassion for Kids and Parents; and the Compassion in Parenting Program (CiP), adapted for parents of kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodiverse challenges. Hobbs is coauthor of the book, Teaching Self-Compassion to Teens.

Amy C. Balentine, PhD, has practiced for more than twenty years as a clinical psychologist specializing in children and teens. She is founder and director of the Memphis Center for Mindful Living, LLC. She is also a qualified teacher of MBSR; and serves as a mindfulness teacher at the University of California, San Diego Center for Mindfulness; and also leads mindfulness classes and retreats for schools, nonprofits, and other organizations. Balentine is codeveloper of A Friend in Me: Self-Compassion for Kids and Parents.

Foreword writer Kristin Neff, PhD, is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting the first empirical studies on self-compassion more than fifteen years ago. In addition to writing numerous academic articles and book chapters on the topic, she is author of Self-Compassion. In conjunction with her colleague, Christopher Germer, she developed an empirically supported, eight-week training program called Mindful Self-Compassion, and offers workshops on self-compassion worldwide.