Sometimes, as parents, we must be sneaky when incorporating things into our kid’s lives. Sometimes, our kids enjoy activities such as learning, but not always. If you advertise these as self care, they may find it boring, or they may love to indulge. Whichever way you choose to term it, try to make it fun.
Self care should foster self understanding and lead to relaxation and self worth. It is important to incorporate the practice of self care to literally care for yourself and teach your children to do the same. Don’t just care for your body, but your mind, too. Begin teaching your children this process when they are young.
In this post I will cover three categories of self care and share direct links to the products. These make great Easter basket fillers and will gear towards the 4-5 year old preschool ages.
Self Care Books
Self care begins with your mind. Mental health is one hundred percent just as important as physical health. Teaching children skills for coping with emotions, self regulation, and the importance of self care is crucial for a well rounded life and individual.
In this section, I’ll share five books to help with the process. These are books that have either been recommended to us by others or we have read and loved the message.
Go Left teaches children how to self-regulate. They are taught to put their heavy feelings down, and when things aren’t going right; go left. This book was suggested by our veteran daycare provider for how to teach children of this age to handle their complex emotions and really works well. The quick saying “go left” can be spoken in times when children are having a rough time to help them remember the message of this book.
Fill a Bucket teaches children about their invisible buckets that exist throughout a day. It teaches the importance of filling your bucket, as well as helping to fill others’ bucket’s through the day. Kids tend to thing intrinsically, but this book shares the importance of being kind to others and not dipping into their bucket, while also protecting your own bucket.
The Invisible String Backpack is a book about a girl that overcomes her first day of school anxieties by tapping into her inner strength and emotions. This book is one in a series of “invisible string” books. They cover many topics and they pertain to anxiety and accessing internal obstacles. The invisible string backpack is a great one to start with for the preschool age.
The Not So Friendly Friend prompts children to set boundaries in their friendships. Perfect for the preschool age when kids are making friends and sometimes friends can be not so nice. Navigating emotions and boundaries can be difficult and frustrating, even for adults. In the book, bullying is discussed, as well as how to handle a bully.
Broken Crayons Still Color is about creating masterpieces through your big emotions. Caution to the reader – this one does discuss the element of God. However, the big message is that even in times of sorrow, you can process your emotions and create beautiful things. This one really speaks to my inner child to keep going when times get tough and reach within you for inspiration.
Self Care Hygiene
Self care as it relates to hygiene is where many adults begin their own self care journey. A relaxing bubble bath or some lavender lotion can be beneficial for children too. Teaching self care for your body is another important skill to carry into adulthood. Not only do these products help take care of your body, but they can also ensure some relaxation to your mind too.
My number one way to market a bath to an unwilling preschooler is to make it exciting; add bubbles of course! Take care to do your own research if allergies or skin sensitivities are a concern. In our household, we struggle with eczema and general sensitive skin so we need to proceed with caution when selecting bath products. Aveeno products are where it’s at for us. They have many scented and unscented lines as well as lines just for kids. Trukid Bubble Podz are hypoallergenic and offer a variety of scents. We haven’t tried these yet, but they have many positive reviews on Amazon.
Second on the list is soap or shampoo. For adults, luxury shampoo and soap is where hygiene may meet self care. However, for kids, seeking a product that both excites them for bath time and also provides benefits to their hair and skin is the key. We’ve recently been loving Bluey Shampoo/Body Wash. Again, be sure to check ingredients to avoid skin sensitivities. Paring a beloved character with a good shampoo and body wash has typically worked for us. If you can’t find a character and soap combo you love, slap a sticker on the soap of your choice and boom, you’ve got your combo!
Still not excited for bath time? Throw in a fun loofah. This unicorn one is adorable. You can find many animal and character loofahs online with a quick search. Use the character to demonstrate how to care for your body by having your child was behind the character’s ears, etc. This shark and dinosaur loofah is a great option for boys who need a little nudge to get in the bath.
The importance of dental hygiene should also be stressed here. Reluctance to brush teeth or letting parents help can become a real roadblock to a peaceful bedtime routine. Again, try a character toothbrush or an electric toothbrush. This doesn’t have to be an expensive purchase. Check out your local Target or Walmart for some ideas. Add in some character or sticker sporting toothpaste to bring it together. Brusheez makes a cute set that includes an electric toothbrush, rinse cup, and timer. For the toothbrush, you can pick between a variety of animals.
Lastly, for bodily self care, is lotion. Keeping skin smooth, free from rashes, and moisturized is another important self care step to incorporate early. Finding a lotion that’s right for your child’s skin may begin with unscented options. However, you can slowly try different scented options for some added fun. Aveeno has many lightly scented, relaxing lotions, including this lavender and vanilla option. Select a scent that resonates with your child for best results.
Self Care Sensory Toys
Sensory toys are important because they encourage exploration as well as aid in fine motor skill development. Our tiny humans are always exploring, so providing an environment conducive to this need is crucial. Filling a bucket (a reference to the book above) is self care and sensory toys meet this need for our kids. Here, I will share some favorite go-tos from our ever-growing collection of sensory toys.
First up is a sensory bin. If you’re low on time or creativity, you can simply purchase the whole bin. There are many options online, try searching on Amazon or Etsy. This ice cream sensory bin looks like fun, what kid doesn’t love ice cream? However, you can also create your own and let your creativity shine as you really curate it to your child’s interests. Start with a bin – a six quart storage bin will do. Then, add your base. The base can be rice (colored or not), noodles, sand, kinetic sand, crushed Cheerios, rocks, beans, pom pom balls, the list is really endless and can cater to your children’s interests. Then, begin adding the themed or not themed items. Check your local dollar store for some inexpensive options. There, you can find characters, small figures, small toys, etc. I’ve found it helpful to pick a theme so I have something to stick to.
When playing with sensory bins, adding in some fun tools to foster fine motor skills can be a positive addition. Learning Resources makes many different types of fine motor tools that can be added to any sensory bin. We love the sensory scoops, sand and water, and helping hands the best. These add an element of fun to the sensory bins as kids get to learn how to pick the items up using different tools and techniques.
Coupled with a sensory bin, or all on its own, sand can be another fun sensory toy. Kinetic or a sandbox, indoor or outdoor, with a plethora of toys or just a shovel, you decide what your child would like. My oldest loves her kinetic sand. Her favorite (and mine) is the kit that is stored in the case, so it can easily be take out and put back away. Caution to new users of kinetic sand – make sure to keep it away from anything soft such as carpet, blankets, stuffed animals, etc. it is difficult to remove from these surfaces. My younger daughter loves the sandbox outside. Occasionally, I buy small toys and burry them for the girls to find as a surprise.
Next on the list is the classical play dough. A sensory item long before we knew the importance of sensory play. You can buy the branded play doh or make your own at home. There are many adorable kits on Etsy that would be a great addition to any Easter basket. Much to my dismay, my oldest loves this dentist play doh kit, and of course there are many (inexpensive) options available online. My youngest is mostly into just squishing it and sneaking a taste, so I stick to homemade with her so I can make it taste-safe.
Finally, everyone’s absolutely favorite: slime. Can you sense the sarcasm here? Slime isn’t exactly the apex of fun in a parent’s mind. However, for kids, it definitely holds a special place in their hearts. Try this six pack of slime Easter eggs or DIY some to add to your basket. This is another item you want to keep on hard surfaces only – and also out of their hair.
Final Thoughts
Whether you choose to add a book, hygiene product, or sensory toy, adding self care items to your child’s Easter basket is a great way to incorporate self care ideas into their routines. All of the items on this list can be created or purchased in expensively, making them a great addition to any basket.
What will you add to your child’s basket? Have you added any of these or other self care items to your child’s Easter basket in the past? What did they enjoy the most?
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