By Anya Willis
Children Need Self-Care as Much as We Do
As adults, we often think of self-care as the indulgences we give ourselves. Manicures, massages, and expensive vacations are usually on the top of the list. But, the truth is that self-care is so much more than the things we want. It largely consists of what we do for ourselves to ensure our safety, health, and emotional well-being each day.
And kids need it, too. By Anya Willis
Today at the Colorado School of Music, we will take a look at a few ways you can encourage self-care and share tips on things your kids can do for themselves each day.
You Are A Role Model
Firstly, it’s crucial to remember that you are your children’s role model. If they see you take care of yourself, they are more likely to follow suit. A few things that you can do to show that it’s important to put your own needs on a pedestal are:
- Set boundaries. This is especially crucial when you work from home and you have children. By creating a schedule and setting a workspace away from your family zone, you can reduce stress, which will make you a happier and healthier parent and employee.
- Get enough sleep. No kid likes bedtime, but they also don’t like how they feel when they are tired and cranky. Model healthy sleep hygiene by maintaining a consistent bedtime routine. This could include a warm bath and a good book before bed. Casper also suggests listening to light music and turning the thermometer down to 65°.
- Spend time with friends. You obviously need to cultivate healthy relationships with your family. However, don’t forget to socialize. Socialization not only helps establish a community, but it can also help your reach your full potential while maintaining an identity separate from your role as a parent.
Self-Care For Kids
Modeling healthy behaviors is just the beginning. You must also encourage your children to take control of their own self-care needs. This will be different for all children, but a few basic things that all kids should prioritize include:
- Self-expression. Self-expression is one way for people of all ages, backgrounds, and interests to show how they feel without having to articulate their emotions. Music is an excellent way to express these feelings, and the Colorado School of Music has many instructors that can help children hone their talents on the piano, violin, guitar, or percussion instruments.
- Exercising. If you’re really honest with yourself, you probably don’t exercise as much as you should. But, the American Academy of Pediatrics insists that all kids ages six and older should have at least an hour of movement each day. Exercising can boost your children’s self-esteem and social skills while helping them maintain their weight and muscle structure.
- Saying no. Saying no is difficult for children, especially given that we expect them to comply with our demands almost constantly. But, learning how to say no is essential in both keeping your children safe and helping them keep their emotional health intact. Defend Innocence, a nonprofit seeking to eradicate child sexual abuse, explains that you should teach your children how tofollow their intuition. This can keep them from overworking themselves and may also prevent a more serious issue later down the road.
There are many ways that kids can take care of themselves, and those listed above are just a few. As a parent, it is your responsibility to model healthy behavior so that your children grow up understanding that they sometimes have to put themselves first so that they can be whole, healthy, and happy well into adulthood.
The Colorado School of Music would like to thank Anya Willis for this informative artical.
Dean Cutinelli here from the Colorado School of Music. Remember we are just a call away to start your private music lessons. We offer guitar lessons, piano lessons, drum lessons, Violin lessons, Ukulele lessons, vocal lessons as well orchestral instruments.
www.coloradoschoolofmusic.com
