Not because they’re uncomfortable—he literally can’t decide which pair to wear. Meanwhile, I’m doing the parental tango of "we’re going to be late" while also knowing that if I push too hard, the whole morning implodes. Sound familiar?

For months, our mornings felt like launching a rocket with tape. My son, who has ADHD and struggles with sensory overwhelm, would wake up already anxious about the day ahead. By the time we got to school, he was either wired or completely shut down. And I was exhausted before my work day even began.

We tried earlier wake-ups. We tried reward charts. We tried “ok google play calm music”. Nothing stuck.

In a moment of desperation, I searched "kids meditation teachers near me."

I expected a flood of results. We live in VENICE, after all. We’re practically the global headquarters of mindfulness, $18 green juices, and healing crystals. You can’t walk down Abbot Kinney without tripping over a sound bath. So how is it that for kids—the tiny humans who actually need this most—there was almost nothing?

Then I stumbled onto something that actually worked: 15 minutes of mindfulness practice before we even think about leaving the house.

I had the same reaction. But here's the thing, this isn't about adding more chaos. It's about pressing pause before the chaos starts.

We found an Outschool class called "Daily Mindfulness and Affirmations" taught by Mr. C, and it's become our non-negotiable part of the day. It happens online, it's 15 minutes, and it's live every morning, which means my kid actually shows up for it because there's a real teacher and other kids on screen.

Here's the flow:

That's it. Fifteen minutes. We do it right before we head out the door, and I swear it's like someone flipped a switch. He's calmer, more focused, and I'm calmer too.

Mindfulness isn't just woo-woo wellness talk. There's real science backing this up, especially for kids dealing with ADHD, anxiety, or emotional regulation struggles.

When kids practice mindfulness regularly, they're literally training their brains to:

For my son, the biggest shift has been in transitions. He used to spiral when we had to switch gears, getting out the door, starting homework, going to bed. Now? He's not perfect but he has tools. He knows how to take a breath. He knows how to name what he's feeling. And that's huge.

We found this class because we have internet access, time to research and $$ to spend on it. But what about the thousands of LAUSD kids who don't have those resources? What about the kids sitting in classrooms every day, dysregulated and overwhelmed, with no tools to help them cope?

We literally wrote about this back in our Joy and Wellness post.

In 2022, LAUSD launched its Strategic Plan with Pillar 2: Joyful Schools and Student and Staff Wellness as a core priority. The idea? Every school would have access to social-emotional learning, mental health supports, and wellness resources. Beautiful in theory. But here we are in 2026, and the rollout has been wildly inconsistent.

Some schools have full-time wellness coordinators, mindfulness programs, and SEL curricula baked into the day. Other schools? They're still scrambling to cover the basics.

The gap is real. And it's not just about mindfulness, it's about access to the tools that help kids regulate, focus, and actually show up for learning.

Here's where it gets interesting. California is actually moving in the right direction, slooowly, but moving.

AB 3010, a bill introduced in recent years, looks to mandate mindfulness and emotional regulation skills as part of the health curriculum. It's not law yet, but it's on the table. The idea is simple: teach kids how to manage stress, recognize emotions, and practice self-regulation before they hit crisis mode.

If LAUSD wanted to go all-in on this, here's what it would take:

Not an "if we have time" thing. A daily, non-negotiable 10-15 minutes. Some schools already do this with morning meetings or advisory periods. Expand it, REQUIRE IT.

You can't just hand teachers a script and say "do mindfulness." They need real training, ongoing support, and, honestly, time to practice it themselves. Teachers are stressed too.

EVERY school needs access to the same resources. Not just the schools in affluent neighborhoods.

This only works if it's reinforced at home. Schools need to bring parents into the conversation, offer free workshops, share tools, make it accessible.

Let me give you the deets on Mr. C's Daily Mindfulness class. It's live every weekday morning, and kids can drop in any time, there's no "catching up" needed.

What parents love:

What works for ADHD kids specifically:

Is it a magic cure? No. My son still has hard days. But it's a tool that actually works, and I wish every kid had access to something like this, without needing a parent to hunt it down online.

If you're reading this and thinking, "I can't afford another subscription," or "My kid would never sit for an online class," Here's what you can do on your own:

DIY 15-minute morning reset:

LAUSD calls joy and wellness a priority. California is talking about mandating emotional regulation in schools. But until it's actually happening in every classroom, not just the ones with extra funding or motivated parents, we're leaving too many kids behind.

I'm grateful we found Mr. C's class. I'm grateful my son has this tool. But I'm also mad that it shouldn't be this hard. Every kid deserves to start their day feeling seen, calm, and capable.

If you want to try the class, you can sign up here. And if you want to keep up with what's happening in Westside schools (and push for better access to programs like this), you know where to find us. 💙

Related: Check out our full breakdown of LAUSD's Joy and Wellness initiatives here.

Have you tried mindfulness with your kids? Found something that actually works? Let us know: we're always looking for tools that make mornings (and life) a little less chaotic.

• Want to reach local parents? Advertise →

• A writer or community voice? Contribute →

• Hosting something fun? Submit your event →

• Forwarded this email? Subscribe here →