Well-Being and Well-Doing: Bringing Mindfulness and Character Strengths to the Early Childhood Classroom and Home

Abstract

The science of character strengths and mindfulness has increased voluminously in the last couple decades but the application of each in the classroom, especially character strengths, has been limited and shallow. We outline four distinct areas of learning around mindfulness and character strengths to enable teachers to bring forth an optimal impact on the strengths of children. Special attention is given to parents in this model as well. We argue that the zeitgeist of social-emotional learning in the classroom offers particular value around well-doing as children learn prescribed skill-sets and the building of positive relationships. What is missing from social emotional learning (SEL), however, is a focus on well-being that speaks to the positive identity of each unique child. Research and practices from the new science of character serves as a pathway for supporting and boosting child well-doing and well-being which leads to child flourishing. To this end, we adapt Niemiec’s (2014) integration programme (Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice; MBSP) to an individualised coaching model. We share some of these adaptations and offer numerous concepts for teachers to use personally and with students (e.g., strengthsight, the autopilot mind), exercises to support teachers (e.g., ‘catch AP-ASAP’, ‘the 10 second pause’, the use of signature strengths), and offer new research (partial replication study) on the most common ‘emergent’ character strengths in young children. We discuss a framework devised to boost strengths-based thinking and positive beliefs in children that flows from moment-making to meaning-making to memory-making, and on to mindset-making.