We hear about self-care for adults but what about children? Teaching kids about self-care can actually help them become more aware of themselves and their needs. It can also help to decrease stress and encourage their independence and wellness. Helping your child develop positive habits from a young age will give them the tools they need to develop high levels of self-esteem that will positively encourage their future physical and mental well-being. In this article, we take a look at some self-care habits and practices that you can start teaching your kids today.
Self-care habits for Kids
It's best to start small. Give them tasks that they are more than likely able to complete themselves. You could encourage and teach your child to blow their own nose or get their own drink for example. In most households, mornings are one of the busiest times and it feels like its easier to take charge and complete certain tasks yourself rather than letting them take the reins, however, if you do manage to carve out some time, then motivating your child to help you complete small tasks such as placing their own lunch into the lunchbox or put on their shoes, will give them a sense of accomplishment.
Caring
All of us probably spend too much time attached to a screen, if we aren't staring at our mobile phone then we are watching TV. Minimizing time spent in front of the screen is not only important for your own mental health but for your children to. Set expectations early on, you can let them watch an episode of their favorite show and then have fun away from the screen. If you have space, you could create a phone and tv free zone in your home. Playing games together is the ideal way for them to not only spend quality time with you but also encourage them to find other sources of entertainment. You could bake cookies together, draw a picture, build a fort, or simply go for a family walk.
Creating a routine
Start by creating a calm evening routine where you incentivize your child to prepare themselves for bed. This includes taking a bath, cleaning teeth, getting into their pajamas, and choosing a bedtime story. If they still need a lot of help to complete these tasks, then you could break it down even further. Encourage them to take care of one part of their routine. For example, teach and show them how to look after their hair. This includes washing, drying, and brushing it. If they are old enough and want to style their hair you could let them choose what they would like to do with it, you could then create the style they would like such as braiding long hair or placing it in a ponytail. Make it easier for them and yourself by giving your child an easy-to-maintain haircut, this Schwarzkopf article has some great examples of boy's haircuts. All these small self-care habits can be built upon and encourage their independence and self-worth.
Mealtimes
Building a structure around mealtime is another great way to teach your child the importance of self-care. Having a set time for at least one of the meals during the day will help your child to see the importance of creating time for healthy habits. If your child is able to, you could let them help lay the table. You could also teach them how to wash their hands by themselves before they eat. Try and keep mealtime as distraction-free as possible. It's also a great time to talk about how they might be feeling and to re-connect. Encourage them to talk about their day, ask them questions at the dinner table that are relatively easy for them to answer. For kids pre-kindergarten age it could be: "What made you laugh today?" If your child answers with "I don't know" then try and find out why they responded with this classic sentence. Encourage them to talk about their emotions as much as possible. This will help to normalize the expression of feelings and create a healthy way of dealing with their emotions.
