Utilize These Musical Tips To Help Your Child Practice Self-Care
Self-care can be hard to come by these days, especially for young people. The pressures of social media, school, and their peers can be overwhelming at times and can keep kids from being able to relax, recharge, and let go of stress or anxiety, yet being able to do so is an important part of maintaining their mental health. One easy thing you can do to help your child practice self-care is to help them get involved in a musical hobby. Playing an instrument, singing, and even writing music are all great ways to help a young person boost their self-esteem while resetting for the coming week. Today, we offers some ways music can be a source of self-care for the child in your life.
Make Some Changes
In many families, when one person is stressed, everyone in the household feels the effects. If your job is creating negative feelings that you bring home at the end of the day, this can trickle down to your child and take a toll on their mental health or their ability to practice self-care. The good news is, you can make some changes at work that will help you feel better throughout the day, such as staying on top of your health by drinking lots of water and eating protein-packed snacks to keep your energy up.
You can also make sure your attitude toward your own abilities isn’t holding you back; perfectionism can leave you feeling overwhelmed or stressed, and your child may apply that same attitude toward their music skills. A healthy blend of optimism, affirmation, and realism help maintain motivation and ensure a positive experience for everyone involved.
Get Involved
Another great way to be a positive role model in your child’s life is to get involved with their musical interests. You might sign up for a class alongside them and learn to play the same instrument, or help them practice each day. When a parent shows interest in their child’s hobby, it can help boost their enthusiasm and keep them motivated. Not only that, it will allow you and your child to spend more quality time together, which will have a healthy effect on their confidence.
Encourage Reflection
Aside from raising self-esteem, playing music has many advantages for young people, from helping to boost their math and social skills to allowing them to express themselves emotionally. Encourage your child to utilize their music time wisely by using it to create “quiet” time for themselves, or time to reflect, focus on their breathing, or even meditate. Kids of all ages can benefit from having this time, and by connecting it to their music, they’ll associate positive feelings with their hobby. Have your child practice meditating at night before going to sleep; once they get the hang of it, they’ll be able to use it anytime, anywhere, in order to calm down and reset after a long day.
Therapy is another option worth considering – especially once you debunk the notion that seeking professional help is a bad thing. Also, these days, professional help can be sought online from the safety and privacy of the home. In terms of how much you should expect to pay, you can get a weekly session for $149 or a single session for $169.
Allow Them to Get Creative
Once your child is familiar with their instrument and is comfortable expressing themselves, encourage them to get creative and write their own music or lyrics. Provide a journal or music sheets so they’ll have the tools they need. People of all ages can benefit from writing, and this is a form of self-care that most kids will see as fun. You can also provide other types of creative toys and tools, such as building blocks or art supplies. Sometimes, branching out into other areas can awaken inspiration.
Helping your child get involved in music is a wonderful way to teach them how to handle stress and manage their emotions. Make sure you get their input when it comes to choosing an instrument; after all, it should be a hobby they enjoy rather than a chore.
Big thanks to Charles Carpenter of Healing Sounds for this great guest blog!