By Mark Harris

Kids are under constant pressure to do well in school, sports, and other activities. Parents often forget to give their kids time to recoup and recharge. But self-care is just as important for kids as it is for adults. Kids need time to reset and refresh as much as adults do. If you run a business, for instance, you’re susceptible to burnout. But according to experts, self-care can help you cope with burnout, stress, anxiety, and negative feelings so we can be our best selves. Taking care of ourselves also makes us better parents and partners. Self-care helps us to be better parents and partners by reducing stress, anxiety, and negative feelings. Self-care helps us to be better parents and partners.

Help kids reset

Your kids will notice your attention to yourself, and it will help them to remember that there are other important things in life besides school and sports. You might also notice that your kids start to be able to self-regulate themselves and take a break when they need to. For example, instead of needing to be the first one to finish an activity like a race or the last one to go to bed, they’ll start to recognize that they are tired and need a break.

Encourage kid-led activities

If your kids don’t enjoy sports, try another activity that they do. Don’t push them to like sports or try to force them to do activities they don’t like or are bad at. Kids need to enjoy sports and activities, not just do them. Encourage them to try different activities, and then when they want to focus on one, try to accommodate that. Let your kids choose the sports they want to play, and help them when they are stuck on a particular activity.

Help kids unplug

Kids need downtime. They need to unplug from technology, unplug from social media, unplug from electronics and unplug from activities that don’t give them the mental and physical space to rest, recharge and reset. When you are feeling overwhelmed, overstressed, or just plain frazzled, the first step is to take care of yourself. Recognize what’s going on for you and what you can do to make yourself feel better. You can’t really help your kids if you are feeling overwhelmed or tired, so find ways to take care of yourself first.

Help with emotional needs

Kids need to feel love and connection, be understood, and feel validated. Kids also need to be able to express their emotions in healthy ways. Encourage your kids to talk about their feelings, and when they want to share, be ready to listen. Help your kids to understand how they can express and manage their emotions in healthy ways.

Take a walk

Kids need to be outside. Kids also need to walk. Many kids get lost in their heads because they aren’t moving. Let your kids walk to school, let them walk to the park, or let them walk to a friend’s house. Let them experience the movement, the sun on their faces, and the feeling of being outside, without technology. Let them experience the feeling of being in the present moment.

Self-care doesn’t have to be fancy

Self-care doesn’t have to be fancy. There are many simple things that you can do to help your kids self-care. Think about what you need, what you need to do, and what you need to let go of.

For more insightful content that promotes kids’ well-being, explore The Scott-Free Scholarship Foundation.