Narrative-Based Meditations
Stephanie A. Smith
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For a young child to learn the art of self awareness and meditation is not an impossible scenario. With the use of creative and appealing visualization dramatic changes can be brought about for 
the child on an emotional and spiritual level. In turn, their behavioral responses can benefit as their temperament is calmed, self-esteem developed, their imagination fired, and the social values of caring, sharing, consideration and quietness are instilled. Ultimately, childhood meditations can aid in the development of a healthy, well-adjusted and harmonized social being.
Narrative-based meditations are an excellent resource for parents and caregivers of young children. As such stories are read aloud the child becomes part of the storyline and the adventures it entails. Story meditations can be a wonderful way to develop adult-child relationships, which nurture attachment bonds, and encourage the child to trust their caregiver, themselves, and ultimately others. Attachment is the emotional bond that grows between the child and caregiver. Attachment processes facilitate a child in future relationship building. Often in western societies the mother is the primary caregiver. Ultimately, patterns of attachment are affected by caregiver behaviors.
John Bowlby (1969/1982) developed a theory about a child's relationship with its mother that was paradigmatic shift in how familial relationships were viewed. He used concepts form ethnology to investigate and explain child-mother relationships. Especially, he focused on a critical period for bonding to occur, and initiated studies into mother-child separation. He also emphasized interpersonal relationships, particularly within the family. Bowlby considered the child's behaviors of following and holding as more important than suckling and crying in forming attachment relationships with a caregiver. He concluded that to grow into a healthy adult a child required a family environment of warmth, intimacy and continuous relationships that brings satisfaction to all parties.
Narrative-based meditations are an excellent resource for parents and caregivers of young children. As such stories are read aloud the child becomes part of the storyline and the adventures it entails. Story meditations can be a wonderful way to develop adult-child relationships, which nurture attachment bonds, and encourage the child to trust their caregiver, themselves, and ultimately others. Attachment is the emotional bond that grows between the child and caregiver. Attachment processes facilitate a child in future relationship building. Often in western societies the mother is the primary caregiver. Ultimately, patterns of attachment are affected by caregiver behaviors.
John Bowlby (1969/1982) developed a theory about a child's relationship with its mother that was paradigmatic shift in how familial relationships were viewed. He used concepts form ethnology to investigate and explain child-mother relationships. Especially, he focused on a critical period for bonding to occur, and initiated studies into mother-child separation. He also emphasized interpersonal relationships, particularly within the family. Bowlby considered the child's behaviors of following and holding as more important than suckling and crying in forming attachment relationships with a caregiver. He concluded that to grow into a healthy adult a child required a family environment of warmth, intimacy and continuous relationships that brings satisfaction to all parties.
- Narrative-based meditations are an excellent resource for parents and caregivers of young children.