We’ve all heard the term “self-care”, it is a practice that has been on the rise in popularity over the last 5-10 years.
It is maybe even a term we are sick of hearing about at this point if we are being honest.
But it is still a very important principle and something very important to practice in our lives, even if it has been stolen by the consumer world.
It is also something very important for children, and that might be an aspect of it that we don’t think about enough.
Children need to learn how to look after themselves so that they can regulate their own emotions, soothe themselves, and even pamper themselves. We can’t always be there to soothe them and teaching them how to care for themselves is a valuable gift to give.
Teaching someone how to care for themselves sets them up for a much happier and healthier life.
Sound good to you?
Ok great, let me give you some of my best tips and tricks on how to teach a child to self-care.
Emulate good self care practice yourself
The best way to encourage your children to do anything is to do it yourself. Show your children how important it is to look after yourself by taking time out to self-care, and encourage them to join in with your practice.
Whether it’s meditation, yoga, a nice bath, a long walk, or a skincare routine, encourage your child to watch how you do it and join in themselves.
If they get used to seeing something regularly, they won’t find it strange and are more likely to incorporate it into their own routines as they move forward through life.
Teach them about emotional health and stress
The most empowering thing you can do for your child is to teach them how to articulate their feelings and understand what is going on within them.
If they understand emotional health and stress, they will understand the importance of taking steps to care for these aspects of their mind. Then, they will understand how important it is to look after themselves and they will want to do it.
It’s much easier to take preventative measures than it is to try and fix a problem after it happens, and so if you want your children to be happy and healthy, you need to teach them how to do that.
If they bottle everything in and ignore their problems, you will have much bigger issues to deal with down the line.
Show them that self-care isn’t a sales gimmick, rather it is a way to maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle, and then they will be much more likely to get on board.
Allow them to take rest days
It’s important to allow your children time off school, chores, and general life if they feel they need it.
The more you make it an option and let them know why it is an option, they are much less likely to take advantage.
There is a lot of stress on children these days and they can easily feel overwhelmed. An important part of self-care is recognising your own overwhelm and taking steps to help yourself. Let them know they are free to do this and let them be open with their thoughts and feelings.
The more we trust our children, the more we set them up for success.
The more we teach them to listen to themselves and look after themselves, the happier and healthier they will be.
And isn’t that all we could wish for as parents?
