Over the past couple years, my boys have developed anxiety due to recent events. My oldest found some anxiety came with virtual learning. He got very anxious as he didn’t have his teacher instructing him for as long as in a classroom, so he felt he may not have understood all the points. We quickly tried to find ways to help lessen this anxiety not to mention lessen the distractions around him. Here are a few we used that they ask for now because kids need self care, too.
Lofi Chill Music Channel on YouTube while he was working. There are multiple channels that tailor to studying, chilling, and relaxing.
Headphones/ear buds helped to limit distractions from his brothers’ work or the dogs. I do not often let my kids use headphones as I am afraid of hearing impacts.
Take a bath with essential oils and Epsom salts. All of my boys have essential oil diffusers in their room that we use at night. We often use Epsom salts and essential oils in a warm bath to calm them.
Now, I know not everyone has a massage chair, but our kids like to use ours occasionally.
Take breaks. We all need breaks from work and school. We would do music or dance breaks usually.
Take your work outside. I do not just encourage my kids to do this as I do this myself. There is something about a warm sunny day and hearing nature to calm you.
My boys are obsessed with blankets as am I. I’ve always felt calmer wrapped in a soft blanket.
Often it helps to just talk about what is making you anxious or bothering you. I definitely don’t always have a solution, but I am a great listener.
My kids know I get monthly massages as part of my self-care routine and I hope they know they need to take care of themselves as well. Sometimes, after a day of standardized testing, my oldest asks to listen to what he wants on Youtube on the way home linked to my car radio.
I know the quote is “kids are resilient,” which they are, but they can become overwhelmed as well. I try to instill self-care in my littles to ease some of their anxiety so they can cope as adults. There are so many who have endured trauma in different forms as children that have developed their own coping skills which may not be a positive impact on their lives. Kids need self care, too!
Let us know a few of your techniques for self care for your kids!
