Expert Interview

At Preschool Readers, we know there are a variety of factors that affect a child’s learning process. As a way to remain up to date and informed on best practices, we have an Expert Interviews series. In this series, we interview experts who provide tips/tricks and suggestions for parents of preschoolers. We hope you enjoy our interview with Michelle Moorhead, Mindfulness Educator and owner of MoorMindfulness.

Name & Job Title: Michelle Moorhead, Mindfulness Educator and owner of MoorMindfulness.

Business Name: MoorMindfulness

What Services Do You Provide and Whom Do You Serve: I teach mindfulness to people of all ages, with a focus on children. I teach classes at a variety of locations including schools and yoga studios as well as private home instruction.

What Is Gratitude – What Does Being Grateful Mean – And Why Is It So Important: Gratitude is the practice of cultivating appreciation. We are used to being grateful for big things, but it’s important to find an appreciation of the ordinary. A big component of mindfulness is “heartfulness” – a term that we use to refer to kindness, compassion, and gratitude. You really can’t have mindfulness without heartfulness.

How Does Being Grateful Or Having An Attitude Of Gratitude, Affect a Child’s Learning Process: As humans, our minds have evolved with a negativity bias which is great for keeping us alive, but as a result, our minds are like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive. By making gratitude a practice we can incline our brains to seek the good. This can help us have a kinder attitude towards our teachers, the learning process, and ourselves. It can also help us have fun with learning!

How Can Parents Teach Their Preschoolers To Be More Grateful: Like any good habit, creating opportunities that are simple and consistent are key. It may be having family members share their favorite part of the day over dinner or reflecting on something we are grateful for before bed each night. Kids will usually always list the big things like Mom, Dad, and siblings (and toys) and that is great, but once they’ve gone through those, perhaps try to prompt them on the smaller things like how yummy their snack was or how much fun they had on a playdate.

What Books Do You Recommend Parents Read To Their Preschooler To Teach Gratitude:

What’s Your Number One Tip For Practicing Gratitude: Exactly that…PRACTICE! It may seem like it should just be something we’re always aware of, but sometimes we really need to make it a daily practice until our brains get in the habit.

Just For Fun…What Is One Word You Would Use To Describe Yourself As A Preschooler: Happy! *Full disclosure, I asked my mom for the answer to this one 🙂

How Can Parents Connect With You:

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