Why Parents Should Teach Their Kids About Self-Care

Guest article provided by: Anya Willis FitKids.info

Everyone needs time to recuperate and recharge. Even children need space to nurture their inner selves. As a parent, you can teach your kids the importance of self-care and model different forms of it.

Make Time for Connection

Time with caregivers can go a long way toward relieving children’s stress. Set aside a special time each day for you and your little one; doing so gives kids space to talk about their feelings and what happened that day. You can even multitask while talking as long as you and your little one are doing the activity together:

Get ready for bed
Clean up
Cook a meal

Find a Therapist

If your kids struggle with mental health, the problem may be more than stress. According to research, depression affects 10.6% of the U.S.’s youth population. If you suspect your child has anxiety or depression, you should find a professional to help.

Fortunately, parents have many resources to help them find the right therapist:

Nonprofit organizations
Parent groups
Pediatricians
Insurance providers

You can also find a counselor online. Virtual visits can be done from home, offering convenience, cost savings and privacy.

Provide Healthy Snacks

Nourishing foods are essential to children’s health, and low-sugar options are best for anxiety prevention. To help your little ones form good habits, have plenty of healthy snacks around:

Avocado on toast
Celery with peanut butter
Tuna salad on crackers
Grape and cheese kabobs
Granola with yoghurt

Encourage Creativity

Creative expression is an excellent outlet for kids to explore their feelings. Little ones interested in the arts can paint or draw, while children interested in music can learn an instrument. If your youngsters love to move, you can enroll them in dance classes. Crafts are a great way to encourage kids’ creativity. The following are hobbies even young kids can get into (with an adult’s help):

Quilting
Sculpting
Origami
Gardening
Crochet and knitting
Scrapbooking
Candle making
Soapmaking
Coding
Jewelry making

Practice Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises are a common strategy to deal with stress and anxiety. This tactic can even help toddlers calm down when they feel overwhelmed. To teach young children these exercises, practice with them daily, including when their stress levels are low. Eventually, they’ll use them on their own.

Meditate Every Day

Meditation is proven to reduce stress and even lower blood pressure. It’s also relatively easy for young kids to learn. To teach your children how to meditate, practice together. You can spend five to 10 minutes doing a guided meditation, or you can incorporate exercise with the following moving meditation forms:

Walking meditation
Tai chi
Yoga

Play With Pets

If you have family pets, encourage your children to play with them. Pets can lower stress levels and increase feelings of connection, both of which are essential for self-care.

Hug a Beloved Stuff Animal

Plush toys play several vital roles in children’s development, including self-soothing. If your youngsters are anxious, recommend spending time with their favorite stuffed animal. Cuddling a familiar, physically soft toy helps kids relax and feel safe. Even teens can benefit from hugging a beloved plushie from their childhood.

Teaching your kids about self-care sets them up for success when things get tough. These habits established in early childhood will benefit them as adults, as they’ll know the value of taking care of their physical, emotional and mental needs.

Anya Willis is a mother of three and has been a yoga instructor for the past 12 years. Reflecting on her younger years, she became passionate about kids being active and healthy. She created FitKids.info to help parents find fitness alternatives to keep their kiddos moving.