Why focus on Wholeself Care for kids?
Self-care isn’t just for grown-ups, it helps kids grow-up to be resilient!
Why is teaching kids to take care of themselves a critical part of the curriculum? Teaching children wholeself care is another way of saying that we are preparing kids to grow-up and become parents to themselves.
As a psychologist working with adults, I have found that most of my clients come to therapy unaware of an additional challenge they are facing- the compounding distress stemming from not having been taught healthy self-care as children. These gaps in self-care range from the simpler ones, like not having a bed-time routine, to nuanced ones like insufficient personal boundary management. I am repeatedly struck by the toll on mental health not only from causes such as early trauma, developmental complications and recent life events, but from the impacts of not having been taught healthy self-care growing up, even when having had healthy upbringings.
Learning as a kid paves the way for developing self-care and bolstering resilience for a lifetime!
My work has also been shaped by what I have surmised about the caregivers my clients had as children; serious gaps in their self-care awareness. Some of my clients’ suffering as children may have resulted from their caregivers’ inability to care sufficiently for themselves.
My writing, presentations, and songs are guided by my reflections on my clients’ histories and trajectories, and what I wished they had been given as children. While hoping to reach the children and caregivers of today and tomorrow, I have dedicated this project to the children that my clients used to be.
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Most of my clients have come to therapy unaware of an additional challenge they are facing- the compounding distress stemming from not having been taught healthy self-care as children. These gaps in self-care range from the simpler ones, like not having a bed-time routine, to nuanced ones like insufficient personal boundary management. I am repeatedly struck by the toll on mental health not only from causes such as early trauma, developmental complications and recent life events, but from the impacts of not having been taught healthy self-care growing up. Learning as a kid paves the way for developing self-care for a lifetime!
My work has also been shaped by what I have surmised about my clients’ caregivers; serious gaps in their self-care awareness. Some of my clients’ suffering as children may have resulted from their caregivers’ inability to care sufficiently for themselves.
My writing, presentations, and songs are guided by my reflections on my clients’ histories and trajectories, and what I wished they had been given as children. While hoping to reach the children and caregivers of today and tomorrow, I have dedicated this project to the children that my clients used to be.
What teachers are saying about the book for themselves:
“In my public school preschool program, we focus heavily on social/emotional development and cover many of the topics discussed in Wonderful Me. This would be a great book to add to a social/emotional curriculum, cozy corner library, school library, etc. to reference when focusing on social emotional concepts.”
“Wonderful Me not only teaches why it is so important to care for yourself but it goes into detail of how you can do it! It starts with things that may seem simple like physically caring for yourself but also goes into setting up healthy boundaries. and how we can love ourselves well in different aspects of our lives. Great for the classroom!”
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What an expansive, welcome approach to health that provides readers with the tools necessary to experience wellness while navigating feelings and new and tricky experiences.”
“Elementary teachers: you’ll need a copy! This book aligns so well with the curriculum.”
“This is a book I believe every classroom should have. I love the way it explores every aspect of self care in an accessible and child friendly fashion. “
“This is an excellent tool to have. This book doesn’t even need to always be read in one sitting. Taking a page or two at a time is a great way to bond and start strengthening those communication skills!”
“I am a student teacher and a daycare teacher and I love how the language is easy to understand and there are not too many big words.”
“What a fantastic find. It's a fun, educational read to help children learn more about themselves, how to properly take care of them, physically and mentally, how to interact with their surroundings, how to communicate their needs, etc.. They'll learn how to be well-rounded social individuals. Well-written text and cute illustrations. It should definitely be used in schools and other educational places.”