How it all started…
Nearly 25 years ago, I was a meditation teacher for adults when I noticed something missing: nobody was teaching these skills to children. I believed young people deserved the same tools for calm, focus and resilience that adults were discovering — so I set out to build them.
Through years of pilot studies, careful testing and real classroom experience, I developed the Connected Kids method ©: a proven, structured way to train adults to teach meditation to children and teens. Today it’s used by an international community of practitioners.
Connected Kids is built to include every child. The method is adapted for autistic children, young people with ADHD, and those with trauma experience — because mindful skills should be available to everyone, not just some.
I published my first book in 2012, and have written three books on teaching meditation to children since. My first, Calm Kids, struck such a chord that it’s now translated into 5 languages and read by parents and educators around the world.
Sheila Laing, Head Teacher, UK
Meditation for kids — what I stand for
- Giving adults the training and confidence to teach meditation to young people, properly and safely
- A firm belief that children of every age and ability can learn mindful skills
- Teaching methods adapted for young people with SEN, autism or ADHD, so nobody is left out
- A child-centred, compassionate approach in everything Connected Kids does
- A commitment to grounding this work in real research, not trends
Helping children thrive
Thousands of adults and children have now been supported through the Connected Kids programme. Our community of members shares good practice, ideas and encouragement — you won’t be doing this alone.
Members and readers consistently tell us the children in their lives experience:
- Better sleep
- Reduced anxiety
- Improved self-esteem
- Enhanced focus and study skills
- Decreased stress levels
I also spent 10 years as a foster carer, looking after 17 children aged 3 to 17, reading and attending courses to be trauma-informed alongside the direct practical experience these children shared with me.
That experience confirmed how much meditation and mindful skills can offer children who’ve faced trauma — it shaped my third book and the TSMS course I created for trauma professionals working with children and young people or giving meditation/yoga teachers the skills they need to be trauma-sensitive in their work.
Become part of a worldwide community
From those early beginnings, Connected Kids has grown into a global community of therapists, caregivers, parents, mental health professionals and educators — all bringing these skills into their own lives and work.
Whether you’re a parent looking for simple tools to start with, or you want to train as a meditation teacher or deepen your professional work with young people, I’m glad you’re here — and I hope you’ll join us.
About the founder of the Connected Kids Method©
- Published author of Calm Kids and two further books on teaching meditation to children and teens
- Trained to teacher level in energy and holistic therapies, including aromatherapy, Usui, Karuna and Holy Fire Reiki, meditation, MIBR, 5A and EFT
- Foster carer for 10 years, caring for 17 children, with a specialist SCQF Level 6 qualification in working with trauma-experienced children
- Dog and cat parent
Recognition
- Awarded by Mom’s Choice, Nursery World Gold, and National Parenting Product Recognition
- Accredited by IICT
