How can I help my child . . .

  • What does self-care for parents look like?
  • How can my self-care impact my child’s well-being?

What is Self-Care?

Parenting takes a lot of energy. While making sure their children’s physical and emotional needs are met every day, many parents forget that they need to take care of themselves, too. There is a notion that self-care is selfish, or only for people with money and free time. But there are many ways that parents and caregivers can tend to themselves; many of which require little time and don’t cost much. It can be anything that creates joy, relaxation, or helps one disconnect, like:

  • taking a bath
  • spending time listening to music
  • having a phone call with a close friend
  • exercising
  • reading
  • cooking alone
  • doing a hobby.

The point is that it happens regularly, and it helps you to disconnect from daily life and reconnect with yourself.

Why It Matters

Self-care is often at the bottom of the priority list among all of the other things a parent or caregiver needs to tend to. But think about the old adage of “filling up your own tank,” or the air travel analogy of “putting on your oxygen mask first before helping others.” There are many reasons why this is important. By taking care of yourself:

  • You are more likely to be a stable, consistent and engaged caregiver to your child.
  • You model ways of coping, taking care of yourself and following your interests, which they will hopefully develop as they get older.
  • You grow personally so that when you child leaves the home you have other ways to direct your time and energy
  • It shows your kids the importance of tending to their relationships (with friends, spouse, etc).

Check-In:

Self-care can mean different things to different people. Look at this chart below and think about which of these reflect your own ideas of self-care. You can also check the areas you feel you already do well and select ones you may want to try. What else might you add to this list?

Types of Self-CareExamples
Personal
  • Set goals and get support to achieve them
  • Connect with friends
  • Plan a date night
  • Cook
  • Learn a new skill
  • Practice an art form 
  • Relax
  • Spend time with animals
Professional
  • Take time for lunch
  • Don’t work overtime too much
  • Set boundaries
  • Take vacation
  • Use sick days when needed
  • Get support from colleagues
  • Ask for professional development opportunities
Physical
  • Feel safe at home
  • Get regular medical care
  • Exercise
  • Cook nourishing foods
  • Get enough sleep
  • Take a walk
  • Avoid too much time on your phone
  • Give and receive affection
Psychological
  • Take time to reflect
  • Journal
  • Seek therapy
  • Draw/paint
  • Read self-help books
  • Join a support group
  • Practice asking for and receiving help
Emotional
  • Connect with feelings and emotions
  • Allow yourself to cry and to be joyful
  • Talk with a trusted friend about big emotions
  • Find opportunities to laugh (movies, friendships)
  • Practice positive self-talk
  • Choose relationships involve mutual support and care
Spiritual
  • Spend time in nature
  • Reflect
  • Meditate
  • Sing/Dance
  • Spend time in ceremony or worship
  • Pray
  • Find a spiritual mentor
  • Volunteer for cause
  • Find a spiritual community

This chart was adapted from the Ogla Phoenix Project: Healing for Social Change
https://www.buckner.org/files/uploads/SelfCare-wheel.pdf

Connect & Communicate:

Start the Conversation

To carve out time for yourself, you may need to have conversations with other family members, people you live with, colleagues and friends. Since your decision may impact them, you will want to think through how to approach them carefully. At first it might be difficult to express your feelings and what you need, but remember the importance of tending to yourself.

One of the best ways to start prioritizing yourself is by saying “no” to things and making small adjustments to your schedule. Even just giving yourself 5-10 minutes a day, or an hour once a week to start will help you build the habit. In some cases, you may actually need help from others in order to make self-care happen. If so, here are a couple things to help support that conversation:

  • Be honest: Express how you are feeling and why you think you need time to yourself. For example, “I have been feeling very down and overwhelmed lately, I think I need to start walking with a friend on the weekends.”
  • Share exactly what you need from the other person. For example, “I would like to go to the gym three days a week in the morning, can you take over the morning routine on those days?”

The important thing is to set a realistic goal for yourself. Start small and with whatever you feel you can successfully accomplish given your other responsibilities.

Activities

Here are some activities to try. This, in addition to the chart above, may be a good place to start. Remember that self-care is something that adds up like money in a bank. Even 5-10 minutes of self-care on a regular basis can lead to feeling better physically, emotionally, and mentally. If you are just starting out with this, take it slow and add time and frequency gradually. This list starts with things that don’t require much time or money.

  • Sitting down on the couch and focusing on your breath.
  • Bath or enjoy a hot tub.
  • Sit down and listen to music!
  • Engage in play.
  • Take walks.
  • Cook alone.
  • Enjoy a phone call with an old friend.
  • Read.
  • Coffee with a friend (or by yourself!).
  • Early to bed and early to rise.
  • Listen to audiobooks.
  • Join a team sport.
  • Get a massage!
  • Spend the night on your own somewhere (camping, retreat center, friend’s house).
  • Staycation to a local place!
  • Detox/cleanse with a guided professional.
  • Manicure/pedicure.

Contact & Collaborate:

Once you have determined ways to incorporate more self-care into your life, look for community organizations, online platforms and personal resources that can help you meet that goal. Below are a few places to start.

  • Check offerings at a local adult school.
  • Sign up for an adult sports league through your local Parks and Recreation Department.
  • Look for classes online and in-person at a community college.
  • Join a local YMCA or other gym.
  • Find a buddy to walk or exercise with schedule it on a regular basis.

Continue Learning:

There is a lot of information out there about how to incorporate more self-care into your life and the importance of doing so. Below are some other resources you may find helpful.