Self-Care For Kids

Feeling stressed out is the number one complaint of many parents. But adults aren’t the only ones feeling anxiety over busy schedules, tricky relationships, pandemic fears or unsettling world events. “Kids especially younger ones aren’t usually going to come out and say ‘I’m stressed,’” says Stacy Leatherwood, M.D. A pediatrician at Henry Ford Health. “But that doesn’t mean kids aren’t experiencing stressful situations and events in their own ways.”

Signs That Your Child Is Feeling Stressed If your kids are too young to find words to explain their stress (or they're older and don’t readily open up), it’s important to watch their behavior. “You want to look for changes that are out of the ordinary, new behaviors or ones that seem like a regression to a younger version of your child,” says Dr. Leatherwood. Some behaviors that could be  include:

• Changes to their typical sleep patterns. That could mean sleeping more or less or waking up frequently during the night. 
• Loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. Instead of going out to play with friends, they just want to lie on the couch or play video games by themselves. 
• Declining performance in school. 
• Pulling away from friends or avoiding social situations. 
• Acting out, having tantrums or getting in fights. 
• Physical complaints, such as stomachaches or headaches

Stress Relief Techniques for Kids When trying to teach self-care for kids, the most important thing you can do is model that behavior yourself. “Parents who take care of themselves, take time to manage their own stress and model that for their children can help create a culture of calm,” says Dr. Leatherwood. Good stress management techniques work for grownups, little kids and teens and can be tailored to suit any age. Together as a family, practice stress-relieving activities like: 

• Practicing healthy sleep habits: Be sure to turn screens off at least an hour before bed and keep electronic devices out of the bedroom. Making sure your child gets quality sleep will help them manage stress better. 
• Creating more family time: Spending time with your kids gives you the opportunity to spot problem behaviors and stay in close touch with what might be worrying them. Eat meals together whenever possible and use that time to talk about the good and bad events of everyone’s days. Fun family time is also a great stress reliever play games, have a dance party, tell jokes and get silly together.
• Building a “calm box”: Help each family member create their own collection of stress relieving tools. For little kids, this might include a favorite stuffed animal, a picture book, coloring book and crayons, and PlayDoh. Older kids might fill their calm box with a journal, music, soothing aromatherapy candle and a yoga mat.
• Getting outside: “Time in nature, being active, is a wonderful way to relieve stress,” says Dr. Leatherwood. Encourage your kids to play outside after school to help let out any stress from the day. 
• Staying active: Exercise is an excellent stress reliever. It improves your mood, helps your brain process stressful events and reduces overall anxiety.
• Modeling mindfulness: Demonstrate to your children how you take a moment during stressful times to calm yourself down. Deep breathing techniques, meditation, a relaxing yoga session or curling up with a good book are great ways to self-soothe. If your child exhibits continued signs of stress and anxiety, it may be helpful to seek help from your pediatrician or a mental health therapist. “You want to create a safe place for your child to express their emotions,” says Dr. Leatherwood. “Sometimes it’s easier for your child to open up to someone else.”

 

How To Help Your Kids Build A Healthy Relationship With Food

We all want our kids to be healthy  and to grow up knowing that making smart choices can help keep them healthy. Eating good-for-you food is a big part of that. Of course, kids are notorious for turning their noses up at all sorts of healthy foods, in favor of sweets and high-fat treats. “But it’s never too late to introduce your kids to healthy food choices,” says Bridget McArdle, D.O., a pediatrician at Henry Ford Health. “Their taste buds are constantly changing, so the more options you offer on a regular basis, the more opportunity they’ll have to find healthy foods they like.” Modeling healthy eating, keeping good-for-you foods in the kitchen and teaching kids why nutrition is important are all ways you can help your kids make smart food choices.

Plan, Shop And Cook Together Kids of all ages like to have a sense of control over their choices and that includes their food choices. So get your kids involved in helping decide what your family eats. “Let your kids each pick one night a week that they decide what’s for dinner, then let them help prepare it,” suggests Dr. McArdle. Little kids can pitch in with simple tasks like stirring and gathering ingredients, while older children can cook the whole meal. 

Grow Some Veggies Another great way to get kids excited about healthy food is to grow some yourself. It doesn’t matter whether you have room to plant a whole garden or just some pots on a windowsill. “Even in a small space you can easily grow some lettuce or a pepper or tomato plant,” says Dr. McArdle. “Having your kids plant, care for and pick their own vegetables gives them some ownership over what they eat.”
 Try A Bite We all have foods we just don’t like. But remember that it can take many times of trying a new taste before learning to like it. “That’s why we have a rule in our house that you have to take a ‘no thank you’ bite every time,” says Dr. McArdle. “You can’t just look at a food and say you don’t like it without tasting it.” But if, after that one bite, they still don’t like it, kids are allowed to say “no thank you” to having any more of it.

Fuel Up With Good Food In order for your kids to develop a healthy relationship with food, they need to learn why eating healthy food is good for their bodies. Just like a car needs fuel to keep going, so do people. And kids need to understand that the better the fuel, the better your body feels and functions. “I teach my patients about the importance of eating the rainbow,” says Dr. McArdle. “That means eating all colors of fruits and vegetables to guarantee you get all the nutrients your body needs to thrive.” Anytime Foods Vs. Sometimes Foods Developing a healthy relationship with food goes beyond eating well. It’s also about how we feel about food, and the emotions and the judgments we attach to it. “You don’t want to create a category of ‘forbidden’ foods,” says Dr. McArdle. “You just want to set some rules and expectations around when you choose certain types of foods.” She suggests talking about foods as “anytime foods” and “sometimes foods.” “Anytime foods include healthy snacks like fruit and vegetables, nuts, hummus and whole grain crackers. Have lots of anytime foods in the kitchen and let kids help themselves to them.” Sugary drinks, cookies, ice cream, potato chips and other treats should be considered sometimes foods. “It’s not that they’re forbidden, they’re just eaten in moderation and only at certain times or occasions,” says Dr. McArdle.