Why Self-Care Is Especially Important for Parents
The average parent only sees about 32 minutes of alone time daily. Most parents go straight to their children after work.
Though it sounds noble, this trend can be unhealthy. While parenting offers many rewards, it also requires hard work and vigilance.
All humans, including moms and dads, need time to recharge. Read on to earn why it’s crucial to prioritize self-care for parents.
Kids Need Healthy Parents
Raising a child takes an abundance of energy. Young humans need care, supervision, rides, and chaperones.
On average, raising them to adulthood takes $16,000 a year. This means that parents need to potentially work more than their childless counterparts. Getting sick makes parenting difficult, so you need to stay healthy.
Taking time for regular massage therapy supports healthy blood flow and flushes toxins out of the body to keep your immune system strong. It also loosens the muscles and relieves body aches.
Pregnant mommas can relieve the extra stress on their bodies as well with a prenatal massage! This kind of self-care helps ensure good health so your kids get everything they need from you.
Relaxation Creates Better Parents
Parent relaxation sounds like an oxymoron. But we should normalize the idea that parents need to take time off to rest and do things for themselves.
Burnout depletes our energy. It makes us tired, anxious, depressed, and cynical.
It truly takes the joy out of living and can make parents resentful of their children whom they love dearly. Take an hour to read, journal, listen to music, and develop a good skincare routine daily.
Weekly, get a babysitter for a spa day, yoga class, nap, shopping spree, or date night with your spouse. Self-care will clear your mind so that parenting feels fun again.
Healthy Habits Raise Happy Kids
Some parents believe that their children deserve all of their attention. They put all of their energy into the children, often to their own detriment, and leave no time or space for themselves.
Kids learn deeply from what we do. This may teach children that their needs are more important than the needs of others.
It can make them feel superior to others and expect too much from other relationships later in life. Giving children too much of yourself may also teach them to endlessly give when they become parents. They may learn that it isn’t important to take care of themselves.
Parents should make lots of time to raise their children. But also teach your children the value of alone time and self-care. Let them see you look good and feel great because of healthy habits.
This will help them grow into self-sufficient adults who take care of themselves. Plus, a little space from time to time will make you enjoy your time together a whole lot more.
Normalize Self-Care For Parents
Taking time for yourself shouldn’t cause shame. You should feel proud to teach your children the importance of self-care for parents.
Contact Us
At Mountainside Spa, we take wonderful care of our people so that they can do the same for others. Contact us to set up your spa treatments and teach your kids the value of honoring oneself.