As adults, we know that self-care is vital to our mental, emotional, and physical well-being the same is true for kids! Children are also under a lot of stress, especially recently, and they may not have the knowledge or skills to help them manage it.
Kids have a lot of big feelings, and these self-care techniques can teach them to reduce stress, improve coping skills, and learn to manage emotions with healthy outlets.
Why is self-care important?
Self-care is intended to provide a break from our hectic lives and an opportunity to relax, reflect, and manage our feelings. This is true for any age, from childhood to adulthood. Teaching kids how to take care of themselves—mentally, emotionally, and physically—at an early age will set them up for success in managing stressors for the rest of their lives.
Self-care achieves the following:
- Decreases stress and anxiety
- Improves physical health
- Boosts self-esteem
- Protects mental health
- Fosters healthy relationships
Ideas and Activities to Promote Self-care
- Start by practicing other healthy habits. Good hygiene, a healthy diet, and exercise are all self-care habits that will get kids started on taking care of themselves. Explain that just like they take care of their body physically through these things, they also need to take care of their mind and emotions.
Balance TV, video games, and screen time with other activities that exercise the mind! Try yoga, puzzles, brain games, reading, or outdoor activities that get kids thinking and moving. Teach your kids the importance of balance through a variety of fun activities. - Talk about emotions. When your kids get upset about something, teach them how to talk about what they’re feeling, describe the emotion, explain why they’re upset, and propose some ideas on what would make them feel better. Teaching them to identify, engage with, and pay attention to their emotions rather than downplaying them is an important part of self-care.
- Take the lead on self-care in your house. Making time for self-care every day, whether it’s a short outdoor walk or an hour dedicated to rest and relaxation, can set the right example for your kids. It will also make self-care part of their routine, so that when big feelings happen, they can fall back on their helpful habits.
As you do self-care activities, explain to your kids what you’re doing and why it’s important, so that they understand the purpose of prioritizing self-care into their weekly routines.
Below are several activities that you can do with your kids, or they can do individually, to promote self-care.
Afternoon Teatime (or hot chocolate) – Dedicate some time in your afternoon that begins your evening wind-down routine and helps to make a transition from work/school time to relaxing at home.
Afternoon tea, or whatever beverage and snacks you choose, can be a dedicated time to start winding down, asking questions, and talking about your day.
Mindful Active Exercise — Activities like yoga, meditation, walks and outdoor games can all promote movement and physical well-being, while also focusing on mindfulness and reflection. Follow a YouTube video for yoga or meditation—or make up your own! For walks, come up with some questions that you and your kids can think about—and talk about, too. Biking, skating, and skateboarding are also great options.
Puzzle Time — Puzzles are a great, hands-on mindful activity that can be individual or for the whole family. The idea behind puzzles is to dedicate some time each day toward piecing a puzzle together; by spreading the puzzle out over multiple days, it makes the project more manageable, decreases frustration, and provides an opportunity for mindfulness and self-care each day. This quiet routine is a wonderful way to let the mind decompress from the busy day.
Mindful Hands-on Craft Projects — Arts and crafts, especially painting, molding, or coloring, are great opportunities for relaxation, stress release, and expression through art. Put on relaxing music in the background and spend time creating art!
Self-Care Routines — If part of your own self-care routine is taking a bath, washing your face, doing a face mask, giving yourself a manicure, or another activity that makes you feel relaxed, make it a family activity! Having an evening or afternoon dedicated to at-home, relaxing activities can be fun for the whole family and make everyone feel more rested.
Journaling — Journaling is a very effective way to release stress and express emotions. The habit of journaling allows for mindful moments and self-reflection.
Teach kids how to journal with short, thought-provoking prompts. Use loose-leaf paper and dedicate a folder to the journal entries or let your kids pick out a journal at the store! Once they get into the habit of writing, use mindful prompts to encourage reflection. You can also put on music and journal alongside them to encourage them! Make sure they know that their journals are a private space for them to write about their feelings.
Here are some mindful journaling prompts to get you started:
- What’s an activity that makes you feel happy? How often do you get to do this activity?
- Write about a time when you felt sad. What made you feel better?
- What are your favorite things about yourself? Why?
- What’s something you like to do but don’t have a lot of time for? How can you make time for it?
- Think of a person, character, show, or movie that makes you laugh.
- What about it makes you smile or laugh? How does it make you feel?
- What are three things, big or small, that you’re thankful for in your life?
- When you have a bad day, what are some things that make it better?
- Think about a time when you felt stressed. What did it feel like? What made you feel this way? Did anything make it feel better?
- When you’re feeling sad, do you prefer to be alone or with family or friends? Why?
- What are three things that make you happy?
These activities build lifelong self-care habits in children. Evan-Moor’s Heart and Mind Activities for Today’s Kids is another great resource that provides fun self-care and mindful activities to help children learn how to manage emotions and social experiences.
Download free sample printables from this book here!
Fostering healthy self-care habits in children will help prepare them to manage stress and build healthy relationships as adults.
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Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.