Kittens in yoga class are a distraction.
Alice brought her baby kitten to yoga class. The kitten rolls all over the mat and is playing with Alice’s hair. Unfortunately the kitten is in the way and Alice is stuck in Downward facing dog until it moves.
Bringing your kids to yoga class with you is a great way to have some family time while doing a healthy activity.
However your kids can be like a bunch of kittens during yoga class.
What is the problem with kids in yoga class
You don’t bring your kitten to class because
- they are easily distracted,
- need lots of attention and
- they will distract others.
Kids like kittens are easily distracted. At a young age they have short attention spans and will not stick with one activity for a long period of time.
Kids will want their mom to pay attention to them. They will start demanding Mom help them or they wonder over to another yoga student and start talking to them.
Both kittens and kids grow up and the kids at least will be ready for yoga when they get older.
What happens when kids attend class with Mom
I have had kids as young as 5 years old in class.
In one instance she lost interest part way through the class. Her mom had to leave the class with her when she started wandering around and talking to the other students.
Leave your kittens at home. When your kids are in junior high bring them to yoga class with you.
In another instance everything went fine. When they got bored with the yoga, they sat quietly and waited for the class to end.
There is an ideal age for kids to come to a regular yoga class.
At what age can kids come to yoga class
Kittens turn into cats and they are no longer a bother. They will sit quietly for a long period of time and never disturb you.
Kids are much the same way. By the time your child turns 14, when they are in Junior High they will be ready for yoga class.
They will be able to focus on poses for the entire class and not wander off to talk to someone else.
If you look around you will be able to find yoga classes designed for young kids, but not kittens.
Are there special yoga classes for kids
There are a couple of different yoga classes available for kids
- Moms & Babes
- Yoga for kids
Moms & Babes ( 0 – 1)
This class is for mothers with new born children. The age that works best for this class is new born to about 1 year old. When they are able to walk around on their own it is time to move on to another type of class.
Yoga for kids (6 – 14)
Kids that have just started school when they are 5 or 6 years old will enjoy these classes. The classes are short with lots of activity. Animal poses like Lion, Sphinx, Cobra, Crow and Eagle show up often. These poses engage the kids imagination and keep them involved in the practice.
Summary
Eventually kittens grow into cats and their behaviour is much improved. It is the same with kids. By the time your child enters Junior high school when they are about 14 they are ready to join an adult yoga class.
Before they are 14 there is yoga for kids and for the really young babies check out Moms and Babes.
Next Step
If you have a new born check out the Moms & Babes classes available in your area.
If your child has just started school have a look at the Yoga for Kids programs available in your area.
If your child is in junior high school and they want to try yoga, ask your yoga teacher, and bring them with you to class.
Additional Reading
Kids are not the only distractions in yoga classes. The article How to make your practice worse check out the shiny objects shows you some of the other distractions in your yoga class and what to do about them.
Why moaning groaning and humming during class will bring you bad karma talks about the vocalizations that can be a problem during yoga class.
Another source of distraction is the students moving about the room getting their props. This article How to eliminate the train station flow in your yoga class shows you how to deal with that distraction.
