Stillness in Preschool

The preschool director, Ann-Kristin Källström-Sundgren joined our team when we were developing practices for high school. She took one glance and said: This we need to do in preschool. That´s where we lay the foundation. Ok, I said, and adjusted the practices for 1-6-year-olds. Ann-Kristin tried them out at the preschool Armbandet which she led and sent her teacher colleagues in two big busses to Stockholm to get trained. When her directorship was extended to the preschool Kättsätter the procedure was repeated. The kids and teachers liked the practices and as it turned out, the longtime sick leave among the teachers went down to almost none. The noise level which at the time in Swedish preschools were approaching the loudest allowed in heavy industry also miraculously went down to normal. Over the years, the two preschools have become shining examples and sources of inspiration not only in Sweden but in other countries as well. Families move to Norrköping for their children to be able to go there. The preschools ranked the second best in Sweden 2014 after having been gone through a thorough quality study.

Ann-Kristin and her colleague Marie Dohlmar have been educating teachers in the stillness practices in Norrköping for many years. 2014 around 110 preschools and schools in the area were using the method in some way. But not only Swedes. With EU support Ann-Kristin and her colleagues have also been inviting and training teachers from other countries successfully over the years, Italy, Norway, China, Belgium, Great Britain, Latvia, Hungary, Turkey, South Africa, Greece and Germany.

"It's nice for both you and me!”
3-year-old boy massaging a friend at preschool.

"It's so wonderful, my head is sleeping!"
-Girl, 3 years after doing a short stillness time.

“The children and I stood in a circle in the field, holding each other's hands. We took deep breaths, listened and felt the scents. One of the boys, 2 and a half years old, confided in us that he heard the wings of a butterfly!”
-Preschool teacher

- Do you know what stress means?
the reporter asked some preschoolers at Vessingebro preschool in a story on The Dream of the good in the Swedish National Radio.

- Yes, that you try to do things too fast!
responds a girl.

- You destroy stuff when you are very stressed,
added another.

- My mom is stressed out sometimes ... I notice that she grabs things fast and she drives the car too fast, she stresses to work. And I always say, Mom stop being stressed, then she slows down a bit
says another girl.

- When My mom is stressed I hug her
adds another little girl.

- Does that help?
asks the reporter.

- Yeees.

- My dad is often stressed, today, he has been stressed three times!

- How do you notice it?

- He's getting a little upset. And then he yells. And he did not lock the door!