A while back, I shared how I get my yoga practice in when my kids are at home with me most of the day. As much as you need that time alone on your yoga mat, it can be incredibly gratifying (and fun!) to do yoga WITH YOUR KIDS. In this post, I’m sharing my best yoga for kids tips–for when you want to engage with your child with yoga.

We all want our little ones to experience the same feeling of peace we feel on our yoga mats. It also doesn’t hurt that yoga teaches things like self-regulation and self-soothing, restraint and discipline, and offers an outlet for expending excess physical energy. Yes, yoga can help your kid get his or her wiggles out so she will calm the F down. Yoga for kids is kind of amazing.

Seriously. Sign me up for that.

I’ve been pushing yoga on my kids.. errrr, I mean… gently encouraging them? to take up yoga pretty much from the time they could hold up their own heads.

(The pediatrician called it Tummy Time, I called it Cobra Pose. Doctors don’t know everything.)

I will not pretend that through the years my efforts were always met with enthusiasm. There have been times when my oldest, who is now almost 8, wanted nothing to do with anything that seemed anything like yoga. And, yes, I have tried to trick her into it. It did not work.

But we’ve just started to get into a good rhythm where we are doing a few poses most days and she seems genuinely interested and happier for it.

So, without further ado… Here are my best tips for leading a kids yoga session in your home.

Yoga for Kids: 5 Tips for Kids Yoga at Home

Don’t force it.

When your child is adamant that “yoga just isn’t my thing,” no about of bribing is going to help your cause. Go ahead. Ask me how I know!

If your kid is resisting, say “OK, I’ll just do it by myself,” and walk away.

Do your own practice. If your child doesn’t join in, she will probably climb all over you while you practice and that’s a start (even if it is pretty annoying!). Remember, you’re just planting seeds here. It might take a few years for anything to actually sprout and grow.

Keep it age appropriate.

I teach a lot of adult yoga classes, and I see even my most dedicated students get that look of boredom in their eyes sometimes when I go on and on with all the alignment details I think are so fascinating. If adults find it difficult to follow tons of cues, don’t expect your 4-year-old to.

Your kids do not give even the tiniest fuck about yoga pose alignment.

As someone who cares deeply about teaching postural alignment, this was a hard pill to swallow. Kids!

Your toddler and preschool age kids want to play, so the best way to engage with them is to play with them. Pretend you’re a gardener planting a tree. Be a silly frog and hop from lily pad to lily pad. Be the wind and blow away their worries. But don’t, whatever you do, expect them to practice yoga the same way you do as an adult. Trust me, it will not end well.

Let your kid teach you.

It’s amazing all the things I learn from my kids when I just shut my mouth and listen to what they have to say. They are so bright, so imaginative, so creative… So, every now and then it’s super fun to let your child lead YOU in a yoga session.

Plus, this is a great way for them to build confidence, leadership skills, self-esteem, and so many other amazing qualities. It will show you how much they actually know about yoga. And you’ll both end up rolling in the floor laughing at least once–guaranteed.

Interact + Go with the Flow.

Your kids want to spend time with you. They want to play with Mommy or Daddy. They want to make you laugh and see you smile.

Your yoga sessions with your kids will absolutely not leave you feeling as relaxed and calm as a solo or adult group class session. You’ll probably have to stop and answer questions every 5 seconds. You will have to help your child balance in Tree Pose. There will be a time when your toddler is done.. and instead of participating in what you’re trying to get her to do, she will choose to run circles around you like the tiny tornado that she is. (Just me?)

It doesn’t have to seem like a calm, serene environment to be a laboratory for mindfulness, which is really all yoga is. So, do your best to go with the flow. Show your kids that you’re going to be present, patient, and have fun no matter how crazy they get. And keep on keeping on.

Make it a Positive Experience.

This may be obvious, but there are definitely times I’ve messed this up. (To clarify, by “there are times” I mean I do it allll the time.) If you want your child to benefit from yoga, they need to actually want to do it.

If you have kids, you know that making them do something they don’t want to do is, well, let’s just say…. difficult. You can’t force-feed them broccoli (again, I have tried) and you sure as heck can’t MAKE them do yoga with you.

Make sure you make your time doing yoga together a fun, positive experience. Don’t freak out if they aren’t doing the poses you’re asking them to do with you the way you want them to do it. This isn’t the time to discipline. The goal here is to make your child WANT to do yoga with you now (and on their own when they’re old enough) and that means they have to have a positive association with the practice.

Now it’s your turn! I’d love to hear from the amazing parents who are trying to share the benefits of yoga with their kid. Please comment below and let us know what has worked best for you and your family? How have you gotten your little one interested in yoga and mindfulness? Please and thank you.