​Self-care isn't just for adults. Kids benefit from seeing your healthy self-care practices and having some of their own. There are many ways to help children develop self-care habits that will serve them well both now and in the future. Here are some considerations as your child explores self-care, presented by Dole Academy.

Set a Good Example

Just as they can pick up on good vibes, kids can also pick up on the stress and anxiety of the adults in their life. That's why it's important for you to practice healthy self-care in front of your kids, especially if you're a business owner. It's often easy to spend so much time and energy on building your business that you experience burnout.

To help prevent this, take proactive steps like scheduling regular time off and committing to keeping work and home as separate as possible. There are also other ways to make your days more manageable, such as taking on larger projects in the first half of your workday and outsourcing tasks that take up a significant portion of your time.

Discuss Self-Care

Though self-care is great for children of all ages, the concept may be harder for certain kids to grasp than others. Explain to them that self-care is a way to keep yourself mentally and physically healthy by taking time to prioritize yourself and your needs. Explain that self-care can come in many different forms, from diet and exercise to ensuring that your home stays clean and decluttered. Also, let them know that putting their well-being first can help them be a better teammate, friend, student, and all-around person. 

Practice Gratitude Together for Self-Care

A simple self-care exercise to guide your kids through is having them write down one person, place, or object they are thankful for or one good thing that happened to them each day. Save all of these notes in a special journal or safe place and then reread them at the end of the week, month, or year to help your child cultivate a more positive, grateful
attitude. 

Follow a Self-Care Routine

Your kids' self-care routine might end up being very similar to or very different from yours, and that's okay. Just like you, your kids need the freedom to explore what practices work for them in a safe, supportive environment.

One way to start your children on their self-care journey is by setting and following clear routines in their days as naturally as possible. For example, encourage them to spend 30 minutes after school each day debriefing in their room with a low-stress activity, such as coloring or reading a book for fun. Self-care for kids can also take the form of giving them permission to indulge in certain activities, such as watching an extra episode of their favorite show at the end of every school week.

Also, it goes without saying that pets are just about the best form of self-care out there. So another great routine to model for your children has to do with keeping your pets healthy. In addition to the daily care that your pet receives, it’s always a good idea to check product reviews before bringing new products into the home, and this is a great way to teach your children how to plan ahead and be responsible in order to keep their furry friends safe.

Start Them Young

It's never too early to introduce and model self-care to your kids. Prioritizing balance, gratitude, and fun is key to living a healthy, fulfilling life at any age.

Dole Academy is your partner in education. Call 844-365-3222.

The arts are for everyone, although we may enjoy them in different ways. A child with learning disabilities can greatly benefit from art activities, whether they involve creating, participating, or observing. Reinforcing other classroom lessons with art activities is a powerful way to increase retention of the material. Particularly for a child who struggles academically, it’s important to have some fun endeavors that bring joy and build confidence. If you’re looking to help your child expand their horizons through the arts, here are some great tips to share.

Music and Dance

Most kids enjoy some type of movement. Dancing can enhance self-expression, motor skills, rhythm skills, and the ability to follow directions, which is particularly important for children with learning disabilities. Music goes hand in glove with dancing and can help with cognitive ability, spatial relations, IQ, and even language development. The benefits of learning to play a musical instrument can extend to classroom achievement as it has been documented to help with reading and math skills, as well as memory and perseverance.

Other Performance Arts

Acting in plays, singing, dancing, playwriting, story-telling, improvisation, and stand-up comedy can all help to increase a child’s confidence, and there is also evidence that they can improve academic performance. If your child isn’t interested in performing on stage, they might enjoy watching plays or helping with costumes, scenery, or props.

Painting and Drawing

Drawing and painting can help develop fine motor skills, concentration, and confidence. They can also be wonderful outlets for self-expression. Many children already enjoy drawing, so increased time with crayons, pencils, and paper may be an easy sell. Letting them try other mediums, such as pastels, various types of paint, and charcoal drawing pencils will add to the appeal.

Crafts

Creating objects with three dimensions has a great appeal for many children. Whether they are building a birdhouse, working with modeling clay, or folding origami, crafts are a wonderful way to develop problem-solving skills as well as spatial relations ability. You might consider devoting a room in your home to arts and crafts. Having a special place to work on projects and store the needed supplies can be helpful.

Show Them How It’s Done by Starting a Business

Your own participation and enthusiasm in projects involving the arts will be a huge selling point with your child, so be sure to get involved yourself, and share with them what you enjoy about the activity. You may find that you enjoy the process enough that you’d like to teach lessons to others, beyond your own children. If you decide to create your own teaching business, consider forming a limited liability corporation, or LLC. Forming an LLC has a number of benefits: It can help streamline paperwork, has tax advantages, and can protect your assets by separating the business finances from the rest of your money. Simplify the process by working with a reputable formation service. Before choosing a service, read reviews on the best LLC services.

Exposure is a Great Way to Begin

While you may already be aware that your child is more of a visual, auditory, or kinetic learner, it’s a good idea to let them choose the art or arts they would enjoy most. Exposure is key, so be sure to create opportunities for them to see plays and art exhibits, listen to music, and try their hand at various crafts. Going to a music store where they can see and handle various instruments is a good idea, too. While they may enjoy several types of activities, it will likely be easy to see what they want to do most. Incorporating the arts into your child’s life can be done gradually, in ways that seem more like fun than studying. They’ll be having fun while developing critical skills that will benefit them in the regular classroom. You may also enjoy the process and want to be a part of it in an ongoing way. You may even have the opportunity to start an art-related business!