Stories from the Field are small moments about how mindfulness is impacting the students I work with, in hopes of capturing what it means to learn and use mindfulness. This story comes from a small house with a small child in Portland, ME:

Four-year-old Mable is described by those around her as "smart" and "strong-willed." Sometimes when I come to see her she stops midway through an activity and runs off, and sometimes she refuses to participate without one of her parents present. She has the typical gripes with her two-year-old brother, but one day she showed such sweetness:

Mable's mother suggested we try art because Mable loves to draw. This particular day, I brought materials to make a mind jar. When I showed her mine, Mable was overjoyed that she was going to get her very own. She helped me add the glitter and we practiced using it. Mable spontaneously requested that we make one for her baby brother, so we made a second one. At her father's prompting, Mable showed him his jar and explained that you can use the mind jar by looking at it when you're upset.

My lesson: Spontaneous kindness is wonderful to witness between siblings, and mind jars are a sure win with the little ones.

For instructions on how to make your own mind jar, check out PreSchool Inspirations