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Have you ever met a toddler who didn't have more energy than you? Probably not.
It can be fun and entertaining to witness their boundless energy.
But when those toddlers live WITH you and that energy doesn't seem to dwindle by nighttime, it can be difficult to seamlessly transition from playtime to bedtime.
You might try to get your twins to run around to help them burn off some of their extra energy before switching gears and starting their bedtime routine.
Sometimes, that does the trick.
Other times, that just seems to give them a second wind—which is the exact opposite of what you want when you're trying to get them to wind down for sleep.
After more than a few high-energy evenings, I thought about what helps me zen out after a long or stressful day.
Yoga.
The stretching, the slower breathing, the mindful moments all help me strike a balance between my body and my mind.
Maybe my overly excited toddlers would have a similar reaction if we tried implementing a few moments of toddler yoga before bedtime.
Bringing balance to your mind and body
Being a toddler comes with the not-always-easy task of navigating big feelings.
You can help your kids learn to cope with stress or tackle challenging moments by introducing them to yoga.
Toddler yoga can bring balance, with even a short session being able to guide a high-energy child through a calming bedtime routine of stretches and breathing exercises.
Practicing yoga can also help your twins develop coordination skills, improve their balance and flexibility, and help them build both their confidence and their strength while they exercise.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, "physical movement, breathing, and mindfulness can bring on physical and emotional benefits in adults and kids alike."
The site says benefits can include things like better emotional regulation, increased awareness of their thoughts, feelings, and actions, better behavior, concentration, and physical fitness, and improvements in connecting with others.
A study that looked at second- and third-graders who were enrolled in a yoga class for 10 weeks showed similar results, with participants feeling less stress, being in better moods, and having more confidence. They also reported having improved social interactions and attention spans, better coping skills, and improved academic performance.
Positive affirmations can also have a positive effect on one's self-esteem and self-awareness.
I already knew this, but it was confirmed for me when we were hurrying to the playground a while back. Our toddlers were just getting confident with running but were still a little shaky, especially without anything soft to land on, should they lose their footing.
One of our twins was trudging along at the fastest speed he could muster without falling over, and as he ran along, he kept repeating to himself, "I'm doing great! I'm doing great!" for the two minutes it took us to run to the park. When he set foot onto the playground, he gleefully told himself that he'd made it. His positive affirmations helped him get there.
We didn't sit down and explain affirmations to them, but we continually encourage them, offer positive reinforcement, and remind them how well they're doing when they're trying new things and figuring out how to do them. This is something they've picked up on and have already started using to boost their self-esteem in everyday situations.
Practicing yoga on a daily or weekly basis can help your little ones to further build their self-esteem and enhance their coping skills.
Practicing yoga on a daily or weekly basis can help your little ones to further build their self-esteem and enhance their coping skills.
Toddler yoga implements simplified poses that can be done by anyone...any age, any ability.
We like Cosmic Kids Yoga, but there are many different ways you can dip your toe into the yoga pool. Whether you dive right in or take it one pose at a time, here are some easy tools that can help you introduce your young ones to yoga to help them practice mindfulness, embrace exercise, and flow into a state of relaxation and self-regulation.
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Kids Yoga Mat by Antsy Pants
A Durable, Non-Slip Mat
This lightweight, non-slip mat is perfect to introduce your littles to a light home workout or yoga session. This soft mat is three millimeters thick and measures 60 inches by 24 inches, so it's a good size for active exercise, stretching, balance, or playtime, whether you're at home or on-the-go. It's free of phthalates and heavy metals and is easy to clean, plus it's tear-resistant, so it'll stand up to whatever your toddlers bring its way, whether they're standing, sitting, or striking a (child's) pose.
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Wooden Yoga Dice Set for Kids by Homotte
A Game to Introduce Yoga to Young Ones
This wooden dice set is a great way to introduce yoga to your young ones in a solo or group setting. It comes with four yoga posture dice, one die for instruction, one die for number of repetitions, and 12 yoga pose explanation cards. The way the dice are designed, you can create unique yoga routines with every roll. The durable dice are made from solid wood and they have rounded edges, so they're gentle on little hands. A wooden carrying box allows your children to take their set on-the-go.
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Yoga Pose & Breathing Exercise Cards for Kids by Talking Point Cards
Jumbo-Sized Calming Cards
These pre-school cards can help promote mindfulness, meditation, and self-care in children by guiding them through calming activities, yoga poses, body movements, and breathing exercises in school or at home. The extra-large cards are designed specifically with kids in mind. They're flexible and extra-thick to prevent tears, and they're specially coated for added moisture protection. With 44 poses and eight flows, the cards feature simplified concepts, bright colors, and fun animals demonstrating each pose, so little ones stay engaged throughout their yoga session. Each card also includes suggested next poses, to keep your session flowing along calm as can be.
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Wooden Wobble Balance Board for Kids & Toddlers by Hesanzol
Improve Balance & Strength While Having Fun
This versatile yoga rocker board can help your kids improve their balance, exercise their core muslces, and strengthen their physical fitness. Ideal for balance training, reading time, quiet time, and playtime, this strong and flexible wobble board is made of high-quality natural beech wood. It's got smoothly rounded corners without burrs and is wear-resistant. Rated for ages and up (all the way up to adulthood), this balance board can safely hold up to 480 pounds. It's finished with a non-toxic varnish and measures 35 inches long by 11.8 inches wide by 0.66 inches thick and is 7.5 inches tall at the highest point.
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Dinosaur Yoga Hardcover Book by Mariam Gates & Matthew Rivera
Promoting Flexibility & Self-Soothing
This picture book by bestselling author Mariam Gates introduces your young ones to yoga through dinosaurs and sets them up with skills that will help them throughout their lifetime. It explains the benefits of practicing yoga to feel better when you're sad, mad, or frustrated. Illustrations by Matthew Rivera show Triceratops, Pterodactyl, T-Rex, and more dinos as they learn to bend, stretch, and breathe through a yoga flow. This book also includes a parents' guide to postures used in the story, plus a glossary of dinosaurs that grace the pages.
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Yoga for Little Kids: Simple Poses to Encourage Calm & Well-Being Paperback Book by Nicole Koleshis
Channel Their Toddler Energy
This educational story encourages self-soothing and will introduce your children to the physical and emotional benefits of yoga. It features simple yoga poses that they can do on their own or with help from their parents or caregivers. This illustrated book includes 20 easy poses with descriptions that are easy for young kids to follow, with each pose aimed at helping them learn how to channel their toddler energy into something healthy and relaxing. Different poses are tied to different aspects of physical and mental health, from sleeping soundly, to staying flexible, to practicing calmness.
Strike a pose to get in the zen zone
Striking a pose (whether it's downward facing dog, cobra, tree pose, or warrior) can help your twin toddlers strike a balance between their bodies and their minds.
Slower breathing and mindful moments lead to quiet reflection and can help your kids begin to understand and navigate the big feelings they're experiencing.
Yoga can also help your children develop coordination skills, improve their balance and flexibility, and help them build both their confidence and their strength.
Even a few minutes in the evening can make a huge difference in calming high-energy toddlers enough, so they can slip into the zen zone and begin winding down after an action-packed day.
Which activities or routines do you incorporate to help your twins burn off excess energy and wind down ahead of bedtime? Let us know in the Comments section below or connect with us on Instagram to share your thoughts!
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