Research shows that self-care habits help a person better handle life’s stressors. Life changes and transitions: Times of change, such as moving to a new home or school and the birth of a sibling, can bring about heightened emotions.Self-care serves as a tool that combats these feelings. Traumatic events: Accidents, natural disasters, emotional neglect, and other negative experiences can lead a child to feel powerless and helpless.Bullying: Self-care can improve a child’s resilience, social skills, and assertiveness - all of which decrease their likelihood of being targeted by in-person and cyberbullies.Yet, research finds that getting quality sleep can lead to lower stress and better performance, allowing them to cope with school anxiety or gifted kid burnout. Academic pressure: A student who feels pressured to do well in school can forget to look after themselves by staying up late studying.Meditation, for instance, teaches young people to be compassionate towards themselves and let go of judgment. Low self-esteem: When kids make time for self-care, it sends them the message that they matter.Depression: For a child with depression, exercising and eating nutrient-dense meals, which are simple forms of self-care, help ease symptoms by triggering the release of dopamine - a neurotransmitter that improves mood.4 Self-care activities lower a child’s stress, which in turn helps them feel in control and less anxious. Anxiety: Anxiety, which affects 1 in 8 children, can impact their lives socially, emotionally, and academically.Instilling self-care habits early in life equips them with the tools and insights that will benefit them holistically. Moreover, kids tend to absorb the emotional states of adults. Self-care is important for children because there are a lot of things that can trigger stress, such as problems with friends, academic pressures, and family volatility. We may not realize this, but kids’ self-care also provides a means of achieving goals that parents have for their little ones: to be healthier, learn emotional regulation, build resilience, and maintain positive relationships with those around them. For kids, this can include everyday activities done purposely or implementing small celebrations, like impromptu ice cream, into their normal routine.Īs parents and caregivers, modeling self-care behaviors and giving a child lots of opportunities to practice the behaviors set them up for future success. Self-care can fall into different categories - physical, emotional, social, and spiritual.

Similar to adults, self-care for children is about taking some time to engage in practices that allow them to feel good about themselves, especially when they’re stressed.

Gifted kid burnout syndrome