Self-care is important for kids and adults alike. Making time for self-care is essential for giving your kids a break from screens, socialization, school, extracurriculars, and other mentally-demanding activities. Everyone needs a break every now and then! Plus, teaching your kids healthy self-care habits is a great way to establish beneficial behaviors that will stick with them into adulthood. Here are some tips from WellnessWithEszter.com to help encourage your children to practice self-care!
Create a Home that Promotes Self-Care
First, consider making some changes to your home that will make self-care easier for you and your kids. For example, MYMOVE suggests designing a specific space in your home where your family can relax and recharge after a long day. Perhaps this is a beanbag chair in a comfortable reading nook or an outdoor lounge chair on a covered patio. Create a space that feels relaxing to you! If your family is feeling stressed and tense, clutter might be making things worse! Cleaning and decluttering can help your home feel fresh and vibrant.
Be a Good Role Model
We all know how important it is to model healthy behaviors for our kids. However, it can be tough to let our kids see us practicing self-care. After all, we so seldom take care of ourselves! Make a point of practicing self-care and showing your kids all the benefits of tending to one’s own needs. Look for ways to prioritize your little ones as well, perhaps by involving them in tasks and being present at bedtime. You should also establish some ground rules so your kids know not to distract you when you need to focus on a difficult task. Create a daily schedule that works for everyone so your children know what to expect at different hours of the day.
Teach Your Kids Screen-Free Hobbies
Hobbies are a great form of self-care, especially when you need to get your kids away from the screen for a little while. Hobbies help kids relieve stress, express their creativity, test new ideas, and learn new skills. Help your kids explore some new hobbies and find something new they enjoy doing! For example, they could try photography, painting, scrapbooking, origami, gardening, baking, or even learn a musical instrument!
Take a Family Vacation
Spending time with family is always a special treat, but vacations offer a unique opportunity to bond and create lasting memories. For children, vacations can be a time of exploration and discovery, providing a chance to learn about new places and cultures. For adults, vacations can offer a much-needed respite from the demands of work and childcare. And for families, vacations provide a chance to reconnect and build relationships. But beyond the obvious benefits of quality time together, research has also shown that taking a family vacation can have significant mental health benefits.
However, remember to plan ahead so that you can fit this exciting vacation into your budget. For example, if your family wants to head to Disney for a getaway, planning ahead is essential. What’s more, getting things scheduled ahead of time can help you save money on this trip. Fortunately, sites like MouseLifeToday.com can help you discover ways to make a Disney vacation work with your current financial situation.
Explore Meditative Activities Together
On top of hobbies, make sure your children have some meditative activities they can pick up when they’re feeling stressed. Headspace explains that teaching your children mindfulness will equip them to handle anything life throws at them. As part of living a healthy lifestyle, a regular mindfulness practice will teach your kids to be present, focused, engaged, and less reactive and judgmental, and all it takes is 10 to 20 minutes a day. Deep breathing exercises, meditation, and walking outside are all great for instilling mindfulness habits from a young age.
Get Outside for Regular Exercise
Exercise is an essential element of any self-care plan. Fortunately, kids are naturally full of energy and ready to run around whenever they’re given the opportunity. Try to take your kids outside as often as possible so they get a chance to burn off energy and enjoy all the benefits of regular exercise. Exercise can be made fun, as well, with items like a trampoline or skateboards. Before investing in products, make sure they’re age appropriate, and made of quality, durable materials. Go online and check out unbiased and reliable home product reviews and recommendations, then check around to see what retailers have in stock.
Try to use this time to get some exercise yourself! Go for a bike ride together, play a game of tag in the backyard, head to a local park to throw a frisbee around—there are countless ways to get active outside with your kids! You can also sign up for wellness and exercise classes with WellnessWithEszter.com that can help you get into the habit of working out.
While self-care may sound like an easy and obvious practice, many people grow up without learning how to care for themselves. Being able to acknowledge and care for one’s own needs is an invaluable skill. Showing your kids how to practice self-care, whether it’s taking time to go on a vacation or scheduling time for regular daily exercise, is a great way to arm them with tools they will be able to use for the rest of their lives!
When it comes to encouraging someone close to you to practice self-care you got to start with yourself. Mindfulness meditation is a great tool for that. Learn more about how to meditate at home to relieve anxiety.
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