Never has there been a more critical time in our world for children to practice self-care. By doing activities that help them to slow down, relax, and boost their health, children can become more aware of their physical and emotional needs.
In doing so, they can position themselves to learn more effectively and prepare for potential stressors that lie ahead.
If you want to help your child learn about how they can take care of their health and well-being, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading for some practical self-care tips from Mothers In Training!
Modeling the Behavior Yourself
The most effective way to teach your child how to practice self-care is to practice it yourself. Keep up with your own wellness routine by eating a nutrition-conscious diet, exercising each day, and prioritizing rest and relaxation.
Your child will watch everything you do, even if it doesn’t feel like it. And chances are, they will want to get involved in activities if they see that you enjoy them. And what better way to help your child get into healthy routines than to involve them in your own?
Listening to Music
Kids generally love music. And it not only adds joy to their lives, but it can also help them learn more effectively. Make sure your child listens to music every day. Start with the songs they know, whether it’s a children’s playlist you find on a streaming platform or songs from their favorite shows or movies.
Also, see if your child shows any interest in classical music, as it has been proven through many studies to enhance the learning experience. Perhaps it’s not best to begin with the long orchestral pieces; stick with shorter pieces (four to five minutes in length) to match your child’s attention span!
Exercising Regularly
You likely know how important physical activity is for children. But that doesn’t mean it is always easy to keep kids active. If signing them up for a recreational sports team or getting them involved in school activities is not an option, or if they are on school break, consider running around the backyard with them for 15 to 20 minutes.
Doing a workout video together with air squats, lunges, planks, and similar movements can do wonders for keeping kids physically fit. And of course, there are plenty of online yoga tutorials designed for parents of younger children!
Managing Stress
Just like you have to deal with stress, so do your children. And watching your methods for navigating stressful situations or general stressors will inform how they respond to stress.
So make a point to focus on powerful stress management techniques that not only benefit you but that your children can quickly employ on their own.
Try methods like stopping to take deep breaths, recognizing triggers that make you feel stressed and limiting your contact with people who don’t manage stress well.
Creating a Peaceful Home Environment
A messy cluttered home stresses everyone out. To avoid harried mornings where everyone is looking for missing shoes or homework, or tripping over piles of laundry, make a point to enlist everyone to implement an organizational system throughout your house.
Start by cleaning up and clearing out anything you no longer use or need, and then carefully organize what’s left. These simple efforts can imbue your home with more harmony, and make mornings, and life in general, less stressful for all.
Making Art Projects
As with physical activity, it’s essential for kids to tap into their creative sides. Arts and crafts help children and adults alike with that task. Research online for the plethora of art projects you can do with your child without leaving the house.
For instance, you can make homemade playdough, egg carton flowers, oil paintings, paper plate turtles, or seashell art together. And these are just a few of many ideas!
Reading Aloud
One of the best ways to work education into your children’s activities is to carve out time for reading aloud together. Start to work in a few minutes into your family’s normal routine. Or, spend five minutes at the beginning of each day reading through a short story or a few pages of a kids novel.
If those options don’t work, you can listen to an audiobook or play an oral word game on your daily commute. Any way that you can fit in activities that involve words and reading comprehension will work to the benefit of your little one.
Every child needs a self-care routine in their daily life. Look for opportunities to help your child to relax and engage in stimulating activities, and you will notice a benefit in their academics and overall well-being. Over time, your child will be better positioned to learn and address everyday life stressors that come their way.
Mothers In Training can help provide you with effective parenting strategies designed to help you keep calm, even when you feel overwhelmed. Schedule a consultation today.
