Gal Gadot has two daughters, aged eight and two. As anyone who has kids that age knows, bedtime can be a real struggle. But Gal has found an answer that eliminates the struggle: meditation apps. Gal is starring in Wonder Woman 1984, out this June. She’s also just announced that she will be stepping into Jennifer Aniston’s shoes as the new face of SmartWater. So Gal talked to People about how, to strike a balance at home, they rely on small things, like a relaxing app to help the girls fall asleep.
Gal Gadot knows exactly how to calm her daughters down before bed.
The Wonder Woman 1984 actress, who took over as the new face of Smartwater last week, is all about maintaining wellness in her home, and getting Maya, 2, and Alma, 8, down peacefully at bedtime has never been easier thanks to some savvy use of meditation apps.
Gadot, 34, says it’s all part of her constant struggle to bring good habits into her home with husband Yaron Varsano, 45, while she balances work and motherhood.
“I always try to find balance in my life and I think that being a mother and a working woman and traveling the world — it’s a struggle,” she tells PEOPLE in the latest issue, on stands Friday.
Continues the mom of two, “But we do it in the simple things, in the small things. Like when I put my daughters to bed, I play them guided meditation apps and they’ll go to sleep. They’ll fade out like that, which is great.”
I have a friend who did this for her son when he couldn’t sleep, and she said it works beautifully. She recommends The Honest Guys meditations on YouTube. I downloaded the free version of the Calm app when it was App of the Year. The few times that my kids and I sat in the living room with the lights off and playing one of Calm’s free options, it did wonders for us. I came to mediation way too late in life and find it very hard, but I think I’m adding it to my 2020 list of things to learn. Both my kids could use some coping tools as they face their teenage years. I think Gal starting this at a young age for her girls is smart. These kinds of routines and toolsets will stay with them throughout life. I don’t know any guided meditation apps to recommend but if anyone does, please leave them in the comments.
Gal also said her family remains active and eats healthy at home. I don’t think that’s too surprising coming from a woman playing a superhero. But she said that when it came to things like eating and activity, she’d tries to show her daughters by example rather than just tell them what to do. This is also good advice. I was raised during the “do as I say, not as I do” generation and am desperately trying to break that by leading by example instead. It’s not easy, I’m tired and would rather just bark orders. But I understand the value in doing it Gal’s way.
Speaking of mental health, I just got an email from my son’s high school telling us they are bringing six therapy dogs to campus next week to help the students during Finals Week. I really do think one of the best lessons we teach kids today is to be mindful of their mental health at an early age and admitting they need help with it is a good and safe thing. Also – dogs!
Photo credit: Instagram and WENN Photos
I’m not a fan of hers, but I am a HUGE fan of meditation for kids. My son gets to use YouTube meditations to fall asleep from time to time. But we also do guided meditations as a family. He’s getting really good at it, and he uses meditation to fall asleep at night on his own. It doesn’t work every time, but more often than not.
Here are two I use. They only have a handful of options, but they are guided, and free.
Android – UCLA Mindful – I use the basic meditation body scan for sleep almost every night and it knocks me right out
iOS – Oak meditation and breathing exercises
They’re great starting points
We use cosmic kids on YouTube, it’s great x
This is great! I’m going to try this with my four year olds! Generally they sleep well but if they nap at school then forget about it (I’m still fighting this issue at their preschool). We have been playing soft music which works sometimes but
this might be even better!
I have been using the Calm app with my son (7) for over two years. It’s been a game changer. He likes the music and the sleep stories. The premium app is like $60/year, but it has been worth every penny. He falls asleep in under 5 minutes every time, and most of the times in under 1 minute. I also use it for naps or sleeping for myself if I’m having issues falling asleep, my mind is racing, etc. It’s seriously amazing.
Calm has a whole set of bedtime stories for kids, which also incorporate breathing and meditative exercises. We play one for our daughter (age 4) on repeat in her room so even if she wakes up in the middle of the night, it helps her fall back to sleep on her own. It’s helped a lot!
Oooo i will check this out! Thank you
I only realised some years back that sometimes my mum would help me get to sleep by doing a full body scan meditation, only in this version it started with pixies in your toes and you had to wriggle your toes to wake them up then gradually they work their way up your body. I don’t think I ever remember them getting past my stomach.
Awww! You have a great mom! I love the pixie aspect! So cute and such a smart way to get a kid to sleep!
When I was a child I had huge problems with falling asleep do my mom would do the same (except that my body parts would turn into stones 😉 ).
She also told me that everyone knows how to have lucid dreams so I learnt it on my own! Unfortunately when I hit puberty I somehow lost this ability and never could relearn it.
This is so awesome. I saw a news segment recently about an elementary school that uses mediation and breathing techniques to help kids quiet their minds and focus on their lessons. They also used heart rate monitor watch thingies that let them know if they ware getting anxious or upset. Then they were supposed to do their breathing to calm themselves down.
As someone who has suffered from anxiety since childhood, I really wish I had someone to teach me these coping skills.
Also, geeeez Gal Gadot is so dang pretty!
I used this for my teenager when she was experiencing anxiety that was affecting her ability to sleep, it was wonderful. So glad the youths are learning these types of tools!
I’ve been using the Headspace app for the last 2 years with my son for sleep meditation and we both love it. Regardless of the brand, I believe that teaching our children and ourselves to be centered helps tremendously. Whatever works, go for it!
I use Insight Timer for myself; they have kids’ meditations but I haven’t tried them…
That’s not why I posted. The thing that caught my attention is the Smartwater gig. Plastic water bottles in particular are a major source of single use plastic, which is trashing up the world. Even if it is recyclable, only about 10% of the plastic gets recycled. The rest ends up in a landfill, and a lot of it ends up in the ocean, literally tangling up ocean creatures or ending up forever in their stomachs.
Plugging a company that cranks out single use plastic containers is something to think twice about. I’m disappointed in Gal.
I use Glenn Harrold, he has affordable single track apps, but you can also find them on Youtube. I heard about him from Carli Bybel of all people and it honestly made me realize how negative the voice inside my head was.
After a particularly brutal breakup, I would walk my dog for about an hour a day listening to his apps and I really think its changed my life. However, you do have to be careful because they can encrypt subliminal messages in there as well, so you can record your own to be safe… I’m convinced he has a tiny message engrained that commands you to buy more of his products because I purchased about 20 of them…
but Im so happy that this is kid safe and definitely need to try this now! I’m having a hard time with my baby, we still cosleep and breastfeed all night and he’s a very sensitive sleeper and way too energetic at times. I had a very hard time putting him to bed tonight so I’ll be checking out some of these other suggestions! Thanks for reading my novel!
I just started doing this with my three year old because bedtime was becoming SUCH a struggle even though he was clearly tired. I love Insight timer – they have guided meditation specific for kids as well as bedtime stories which are played alongside calming music. He asks to listen every night and he’s fast asleep before it’s over. It’s been life changing!