Teach Your Child Everything About Self Care - by Editor

Investing time in yourself is one of the most important things in life. While all of us prioritise the investments we make in terms of education, jobs, and skill-development, the time for self care somehow takes a back seat in our lives. Taking care of our health, which includes our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, should be at the top of our to-do list.

As parents, you serve as role-models for your children. This puts you in a position to instil the habit of self-care in them at a very early stage. If your child observes that you are actively taking out time for yourself, to groom yourself or just to spend a relaxing day doing your favourite things, then it would leave a deep impact on their minds about personal care and well-being. It won’t be easy at first to make room for yourself in the middle of a hectic schedule, but slowly and steadily it will become a major part of your routine. This will definitely prove to be the best gift you could give yourself and your child.

The Importance Of 'Me-Time'

If you are about to become a parent, or already have children, make sure you don’t forget to focus on yourself for a few minutes (or hours) every single day.

This 'me-time” should include some form of physical activity. It could be anything from sports to yoga, or just simply walking for a few minutes each day. The impact of daily physical activity is tremendous on one’s overall health. It will not only keep you fit, but also increase the happy hormones (serotonin) in your body. The immense upliftment in your mood will make your day so much better, and provide a much-needed relief from the daily stressors of work or home management. Adding to these incredible benefits, physical activity will also keep any form of stress or anxiety at bay. Physicians and psychologists swear by this. They encourage the inclusion of exercise in one’s daily routine for an overall improvement in both the mind and the body. Even during pregnancy, after consulting the doctor, women can take up the prescribed amount of physical activity for their own well-being. And staying active during this time can set your baby up for health benefits which will last a lifetime! Research shows that indulging in any form of physical exercise during pregnancy can impact the baby’s motor development. It results in higher neuromotor skills due to the maternal hormones released post exercise. The other advantages include an instant upliftment in mood and experiencing feelings of happiness, satisfaction, and peace at being one with your body. This undoubtedly has a positive effect on the baby as well.

Eating The Right Food

Food is an indispensable part of life, and therefore, special care should be taken to ensure that you and your child are consuming a healthy, well-rounded meal. Indulgent food items like chocolates and sweets should be given occasionally, but not too often. Instead choose options which would increase the right nutrients for the proper development and growth of the body. This will build the body’s immunity and lead to unhindered betterment of the skin as well.

A balanced meal is the right way to lead a healthy and disease-free life too. Your body will be better prepared to fight off any unwanted infections or ailments, and similarly protect your child’s health too. This makes up an important part of personal care and improvement of one’s lifestyle.

Haircare and Skincare

For children below 6 years, using a mild shampoo and oiling can lead to stronger, healthier and shinier hair. Brushing one’s hair everyday when the hair is dry is extremely important. Getting a trim once in every six months is also essential for the healthy growth and upkeep of one’s hair. Once your child is old enough, both of you engaging in hair spas and protein-based treatments can also help accelerate hair growth. Your child's skin and hair are delicate, so when utilizing cleansers and shampoos, make a point to search for gentle and homegrown recipes and stay away from any brands that utilize such a large number of synthetic substances. While those may show prompt outcomes, the utilization of such countless synthetic substances on your little one will negatively affect them later on.

Indians have always preferred home-based face packs and tips for skincare. They are made of naturally available products like turmeric, gram flour, and milk. These items are extremely beneficial for the glow on one’s skin and removal of dead skin cells. Once your child is older, such packs can be applied once or twice a week for a healthy look on the skin. Such sessions will employ organic materials and also lead to the removal of excess chemicals from one’s skincare routine.

Sunscreen is also a vital part of protecting skin. Permit your child to be out in the sun for about an hour at one go, however, make sure that it doesn't fall between the long stretches of 12:00 pm to 4:30 pm as this is the point at which the daylight is most grounded and generally unforgiving. While sunscreen is significant, don't get carried away while applying it to your youngster as they contain a ton of synthetic substances. Keeping all of this in mind, use sun hats and umbrellas on the off chance that you feel your kid is being exposed to an excessive amount of sun.

Many individuals don't care about oiling their hair or body, however the advantages of doing this can't be disregarded. You don't have to soak your youngster's hair and skin in oil, yet rubbing a little coconut, sweet almond or olive oil into their skin essentially 30 minutes before their shower can lead to amazing results.

If your child has delicate skin, use Jojoba oil, as coconut oil and olive oil are thick and can block the pores and cause breakouts. Jojoba oil will actually help in re-establishing the regular equilibrium in your youngster's skin and hair, keeping it hydrated and less inclined to break in the skin and prevent breakage in hair.

Dry skin is more inclined to scratches, and cuts can form easily. However, moisturised skin stays delicate and soft. Furthermore, it can mend and heal quicker and isn't harmed easily. Apply a gentle lotion of good quality to your kid's skin after their shower each day to keep their skin firm and lovely.

Personal Hygiene

Washing and bathing each day will guarantee that your child washes off all the earth and grime that they may have accumulated for the duration of the day and will help them feel more revived. A few people like to bathe toward the beginning of the day, however as youngsters play in the dirt and get grimy in the evenings, a night shower is a better idea so they can go to sleep absolutely clean and have a warm and comfortable sleep.

Individual cleanliness ought to be ingrained in kids as soon as possible, particularly since they tend to get themselves exceptionally filthy during play. Keep their nails managed and clean with the goal that microbes don't assemble underneath and result in any infections. Encourage your youngster to wash their hands and face after coming back home from outside. This will ensure that nothing undesirable is left sitting on their skin that might actually cause rashes and various different issues.

Tenderly purifying their faces with rosewater and a cotton ball is preferred for them instead of utilizing face wash too often each day. Washing their faces with soap time and again in the day will decrease their skin's capacity to normally hydrate itself and cause increased sensitivity as they grow older.

A radiant white grin from your youngster will illuminate your whole day, yet in the event that you don't take great consideration of your kid's teeth, you may wind up dealing with cavities and conceivably awful gums. Show them how to brush the correct way, two times a day, and how to gargle. Make sure to not allow them to eat a large number of desserts or sweets.

A Good Sleep Cycle

Just like food, sleep is an essential factor in our overall well-being. It has been published in many research papers by notable universities and doctors that sleep plays a crucial role in growth, mental and emotional wellness. Getting enough sleep allows children to strengthen their memories and recall things they have seen or heard while awake. It makes them better at processing and environmental exploration. Their sensory stimuli also improves.

Staying Hydrated

Children may not pay as much attention to themselves and their wellbeing. However, you know the upsides and downsides of certain habits. It will be your obligation to make your children drink a lot of water for the duration of the day. The greater part of the youngsters probably wouldn’t want to drink water as they don't think about its advantage. In any case, you can undoubtedly ensure that your child remains hydrated and their skin keeps glowing and looking fresh and healthy.

Improving Mental and Emotional Wellbeing

Self care covers a wide range of personal habits and routine enhancements that prove to be beneficial for our minds as well. Meditation and introspection can lead to a visible transformation in one’s outlook towards life. It definitely makes a person calmer, more relaxed, and in a better state of mind to deal with any sudden situations that may spring up in one’s everyday routine. Make your child a part of this process from an early age and watch them grow to be balanced in their approach towards the world. The personality development of your child will be greatly affected by the practice of self observation and reflection through meditation. This will also bring moments of absolute peace and tranquility, and strengthen the connection between mind and body. Inculcating this habit in your child will help them become more aware of themselves and their surroundings. Of course, babies and toddlers cannot be expected to sit and meditate, as their attention span is shorter and their minds and thoughts are still in the process of development. However, you can do a simple activity with them to help them reflect. Ask them to share all the things they did during the day, and how these things made them feel. This simple conversation can sow the seeds of introspection in your child. It can also become a moment of imparting values and qualities of kindness and being polite and sensitive towards other living beings. Such practices will also bring you closer to your children, and pave the way for an open and honest channel of communication for days to come.

These days, kids regularly get lost watching scenes of their number one TV show, playing computer games, or burning-through an excessive amount of screen time. While innovation and technological development is a colossal part of the future, you have to urge your children to sustain the mind and move away from the TV or tablet for some time. Purchase toys that get your youngster to think, permit them to rehearse creative poems or plays, or work on certain artworks. These all can assist them with creating various abilities and permit them to be more imaginative.

Try not to show your youngster that taking some downtime is wrong or awful. At times the best self-care practice is sitting idle. Particularly in the packed and hectic daily routines we experience as grown-ups, at times all we need is a break from everything to do literally nothing. Take into consideration that your youngsters will need a break, and make this into a quality family time. Regardless of whether that implies simply snuggling with them for a couple of moments, reading a book with them, or sitting outside and enjoying nature. Showing your kid that it is alright to take some personal time off from activities is very important. It can help them with falling back on their bustling lives when they become grown-ups.