Kids & Company Blog

Self-Care Routine Ideas for the Family

As parents and caregivers, we devote ourselves to nurturing and supporting our children, often putting their needs before our own. However, self-care is crucial because taking care of ourselves is not just an act of self-love, but also benefits our children through a positive ripple effect. 

Here are some reasons why self-care is so crucial for parents:

Renewed Energy and Patience: To better handle the challenges of raising children, taking time for self-care allows parents to recharge and prevent becoming burnt out. 

Reduced Stress: Engaging in activities that bring joy and relaxation helps reduce stress, enabling parents and caregivers to respond more calmly and thoughtfully to challenges and obstacles.

Emotional Connection: Self-care fosters emotional intelligence, allowing parents and caregivers to communicate their feelings effectively and connect more deeply with their children.

Role Modeling: Self-care also helps set a positive example for children to know the importance of taking care of ourselves. When children witness their caregivers practicing self-care, they learn to understand the value of prioritizing their own well-being as well.

Engaging in self-care activities as a family can be a wonderful way to strengthen bonds, while also reaping the benefits above. Here are some activities to enjoy as a family:

Practice Mindfulness: Practice family yoga sessions or mindful breathing exercises together. It not only promotes physical health but also teaches us - and our children - to be in tune with our emotions. There are some great apps out there that can aid you in this, including the Calm App for meditation and deep breathing exercises that even has some Disney-themed exercises. We also recommend Cosmic Kids Yoga, a YouTube channel with children themed yoga for the whole family! At Kids & Company, we do weekly yoga with our children in our classrooms - details about the poses are in our weekly newsletters so you can practice at home as a family as well!!

Cooking Adventures: Involve your children in simple cooking tasks like baking muffins, preparing smoothies, or making tacos. Cooking together nurtures creativity, teamwork, and healthy eating habits. We share our Kidco Kitchen menu recipes online here so that our families can recreate their children’s favorite meals from child care at home.

Explore the Outdoors: Spend time in nature by going for discovery walks, bike rides, hikes, or visiting local parks for a picnic. Outdoor activities promote physical fitness, reduce stress, and offer valuable opportunities for bonding. At Kids & Company, we have daily  outdoor time for our children, with plenty of outdoor learning opportunities. Our Kidco at Home resource contains both indoor and outdoor activity ideas too, including this Nature Activity Guide.

Express Creativity: Engage in creative activities like painting, drawing, or crafting. These activities encourage self-expression and imagination, leading to meaningful shared moments as a family. Our Kidco at Home resource also contains plenty of art process activities that allow creative expression.

Practice Gratitude: Gratitude is much more than a simple gesture or polite response; it holds profound significance in shaping our well-being and outlook on life, including nurturing a positive perspective, enhancing emotional well-being, strengthening relationships, and much more! There are so many ways we can practice gratitude through journaling, or meditation. We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership that helps encourage children to practice the same. Love Powered Co’s mission is to empower the next generation of mindful leaders, fueling them with positive self-talk, confidence, self-love and self-worth through gratitude cards. Kids & Company families can enjoy 20% off with discount code KIDSANDCO at checkout or by using this link here until the end of July.

By prioritizing self-care and incorporating self-care activities into family routines, we can create nurturing environments at home where both parents and children learn to prioritize their own care, emotions, and well-being.

 

Posted on: Thursday July 20th, 2023

Posted by: Kids & Company