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Written by Guest Blogger, Chloe Pearson of Consumerhealthlabs.com
Self-Care for Kids: Advice and Quick Tips
Kids these days grow up fast, thanks in part to a dizzying array of unfiltered experiences via their smartphones and various gadgets. Regrettably, it’s not a stretch to say kids are commonly living an adult life – but rarely with the necessary adult life skills needed to thrive and overcome.
With that in mind, here are some tips to help you encourage your kids to learn how to engage in the same self-care that we adults require.
Self-Care to the Rescue
If you’re a concerned parent, arguably the best thing you could do for your child is to teach them self-care. Self-care is just as important for kids as it is for adults and can be considered a core life skill. Practicing self-care consistently will keep their emotions, body, and mind healthy. In the short term, it will let them reset, energize, and wake up each day with a smile on their face. In the long run, it will make them happier, less stressed, and more capable of facing challenges.
Teaching Self-Care to Kids
According to the social learning theory from The Royal Society, kids tend to observe the people around them and then imitate them. As their parent and greatest role model, the easiest way you can impart self-care to your child is to showcase it through your behavior and make it a part of your routine. To cement the lesson, you can back it up with gentle encouragement, advice, and guidance. Below are some self-care tips and lessons to help you along:
Cover the Basics
Every child needs basic guidelines on how to live. This includes a healthy diet, good exercise habits, basic hygiene, tidiness, and teaching them manners and how to coexist in communities. It gives them much-needed stability and security and is integral to self-care. Even a daily walk around your neighborhood can enhance their physical and mental health.
Let Them Have Their Fun
Playing is not just an indulgence or a guilty past-time, but necessary for one’s well being. Encourage your kids to have fun regularly, whether that’s outdoors or indoors. Let them watch and create art and listen to music. Allow them to pick up a hobby like origami or photography to keep them engaged and foster their mental growth. Support their love for the outdoors by participating in activities like bug hunting, geocaching, or hiking.
Educate Them and Encourage Learning
Self-care is complex and has many layers. It involves looking after your mind, body, and heart, which in turn involves knowing how to manage your thoughts and emotions, practicing gratitude and kindness, getting good exercise, and countless related habits big and small. Self-care is a lifetime commitment, in other words, and requires constant learning. Educate your child and instill in them a thirst for learning, so they can pick up the habits they need when they need to.
Boost Their Self-Confidence Through Responsibility
Confidence is very powerful. It not only makes your child more capable of facing challenges, but it’s also important for their mental and emotional wellbeing. Confidence needs to be nurtured and built up over time; it won’t happen overnight. One way to teach them confidence is by giving them small tasks and responsibilities to attempt. When they’re successful, it will boost their confidence. You can reward them for their efforts, which in turn will motivate them and keep them on track.
An example is giving your child small chores to do, with an allowance as a reward. They will learn how to work, and how it benefits them (through the allowance) as well as the people around them. They can make mistakes and learn about responsibility and the consequences of their actions. The allowance will keep them engaged and also teach them how to manage money.
Lead By Example
Relaxing and recharging are important to children’s well-being. Some activities that allow your child to unwind are singing, drawing, reading, gardening, and meditation. Kids also need more sleep than adults, so make sure to set a bedtime for them. Additionally, make a point to optimize your home and their bedroom to enhance overall health and wellness.
Of course, one of the best ways to teach children healthy behaviors is to demonstrate them in your own life. For instance, if you’re unhappy at work, you might consider starting your own business. If you’re planning on starting a new company, you’ll need to create a business plan that details your funding needs, business structure, market analysis and strategies, financial projections, and more.
By making self-care a cornerstone of your life, you’re setting an excellent example for your children, and one they’ll remember for years to come.
Remember to start small and introduce changes over time, while considering your child’s unique temperament and age. Kids are like sponges, absorbing knowledge and picking up habits at an incredible rate. Self-care will become a part of their way of being in no time.