How do we Model Wellness for our Children?
Wellness culture has taken mainstream by storm, with luxury day spas, silent retreats, and meditation apps galore. This trillion-dollar industry promises to cure our physical ailments, rid us of mental health challenges and encourage vitality and longevity.
Everywhere we turn, there’s seemingly a product, service or app to solve our problems. I myself subscribe to many of these self-care practices because they improve the way I feel on a daily basis, but what I find even more interesting is the idea of modeling wellness and self-care for our children. And moreover, what is wellness in the context of motherhood where free time is limited and we’re running on low, even empty?
For some, it’s a week long yoga retreat, and for others it’s a daily car meditation before picking up the kids from school.
Maybe it’s a hot shower after bedtime, maybe it’s a full blown spa day.
I know for me, sometimes it’s as simple as three deep belly breaths.
Ultimately the playbook looks different for each of us, many of us habit stacking while preparing meals for our family, doing any and everything to feel net better in a given moment.
But how then, do we model wellness for our children? How do we instill in them the importance of taking care of themselves, giving them agency in the matter and helping them develop their self-care toolbox.
We roll out an extra yoga mat next to ours and turn on the Cosmic Kids Youtube channel
We invite them to join us for a quick 1 minute meditation when they’re activated,
We let them put the veggies in the juicer and taste the goodness themselves
We involve them in the process of selecting fresh fruits and veggies at the store or farmer's market
For me and my family modeling wellness looks like breathing practices in my favorite corner of our home, taking our daily vitamins together, playing on our yoga mats, a warm sea salt bath to wind down from the day, a fresh green juice after a trip to the farmer's market. We share with them how good we feel after doing these things, to connect in their minds the action with the feeling. Does your body have more energy? Did your sad mood turn into laughter? Did your wiggles go away? Does your heart feel more calm? This connection is key for cementing in their minds the cause and effect of self-care and wellness.
When we do the things that light us up in front of our children, and better yet with our children, we are modeling not just how but why we invest in our own self-care. My hope is that by modeling the behavior and encouraging the art of developing a daily wellness practice, that down the road these instincts will become reflexive in how they navigate their daily lives.
Read more, Practicing Mindfulness