Parents' Guide to Mostly Mindful for Teens and Tweens

Violence & Scariness

There's mention of "leaning into" tough experiences (ie. Covid-19) and emotions (ie. "Anxiety & Depression") that may be uncomfortable or overwhelming for some listeners.

Language

Uses the words "crap" and "sucks" during the meditations in some episodes.

Positive Role Models

Host, Dominique Sullivan models mindfulness through her calm demeanor and non-judgmental tone.

Positive Messages

Compassion and kindness are major themes throughout the mindfulness practices. Teens are encouraged to show compassion for themselves and others when challenges arise. Episodes explore topics such as friendship, stress, and judgement through the lens of compassion and loving kindness. Listeners are provided with mindfulness as a concrete tool that can be used to combat difficult feelings that may come up in everyday situations.

Educational Value

Teaches mindfulness strategies through modeling of short, guided meditation practices, grounding methods and breathing exercises. There's also a component where teens and tweens are taught about the connection between what they think and how they feel. Listeners are challenged to think critically about topics such as judgment and stress through the lens of compassion.

Diverse Representations

Throughout the episodes Buddhist practices such as Metta and Tonglen are briefly mentioned. However, there is not further explanation or representation of the Buddhist religion and its contributions to mindfulness culture.

There's little to none in terms of diverse voices or subject matter related to race and ethnicity, gender identity or sexual identity which are major stressors that many teens and tweens face in society today.