From a memorandum sent in February to the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District, in Massachusetts, by the National Center for Law and Policy, a legal-defense organization. The letter, written on behalf of a concerned parent, asked the district to cancel its contracts with Calmer Choice, a program that provides mindfulness training to students starting in kindergarten.

What is mindfulness? Is it safe and effective for children? These are questions that must be answered in the context of evaluating whether children should be exposed to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (M.B.S.R.) practices.

The Calmer Choice curriculum trains children to listen to, trust, and…