How to Teach Children to Develop Good Self Care Habits [Video]

Kids, just like adults, are more stressed than ever these days. And, just like adults, they can benefit from consistent and thoughtful self-care activities. Even if your kids are not stressed or anxious now, teaching them self-care on the regular will help give them the skills to cope with future stressors in effective and healthy ways.

How Children Learn

Children learn good habits by modeling others. They also learn bad habits the same way. As a prominent figure in their lives, you are the one they tend to model most often. So, in addition to building bonds and having fun, doing self-care activities as a family helps your kids learn the importance of taking time to nurture both their mind and body.

The activities you do with your children don’t have to be time-consuming and expensive. We’re not talking princess manicure parties. However, self-care activities do work best when they are done consistently and together. By building them into your everyday routine, they will become a habit like washing your face or brushing your teeth.

Looking at Long-Term Results

The best, most valuable self-care activities will have long-term positive impacts rather than instant gratification. So, while the occasional trip to the ice cream parlor is fun, the pleasure is short-lived. When you choose activities that focus on taking care of yourself on a more holistic level, you enhance your children’s life-long well-being by demonstrating meaningful and healthy choices that foster connection, growth, and stability.

Check out this GR8 video and decide what works for you and your kids. Or make your activities, the only requirements are that they be fun, nurture mind and body and that you do them together.