In family households, self care for parents can be a struggle. The well-being of the family is important but the needs of the individual members of the family might be neglected in the process. 

There are ways to deal with this though!

What if...you practice self care as a family? In this blog post, we share with you some fun and helpful ideas to get you started on practicing self care together with your family.

Here are 7 Ways to Practice Self Care As A Family

1. Start a conversation about the meaning of self care.

What is self care to you? What is self care to your partner? Your kids? These are questions we never really think to ask of the people we are around the most. Sit down over dessert and get to know each others’ needs. It might require starting out by explaining what self care is! 

Here are some great questions to ask each other once you’re past that point:

• What causes you stress or anxiety?
• What’s your favorite thing to do when you need a break from the world to relax?
• What could you use more of? (e.g. sleep, money, time, etc.)
• How can I be mindful of your self care?

2. Schedule game nights as a fun activity to enjoy together.

“Game Night” should sound familiar. It’s the day of the week families get together and play a board game or other game of their choice. For most families, this is an act of self care. Not only do you get the chance to catch up with one another, but it opens up the chance to laugh which is incredibly therapeutic.

3. Take steps to normalize “alone” time.

While this doesn’t involve your family directly, encouraging your partner and/or kids that it’s okay to “vibe by yourself” can be transformative for their self care. When you’re in a family household, privacy might feel limited. By encouraging alone time, you create a space where your family feels comfortable enough to act on their mental health care by stepping away for some solo time if needed.

4. Divide and conquer household tasks so that no one's plate is overloaded.

Time is used up by household chores. This means that it takes up time that could be spent on self care. Divide and conquer household chores as a family, that way you all can enjoy downtime sooner than later effectively.

5. Try something new together.

Each member of the household more than likely has their own list of things (saved in their brain) they’ve never done but would like to try. Figure out what those things are together, and schedule a day every other week where you try something new together based. 

6. Limit cell phone when you're together.

Don’t take your family’s phones away! Instead, have a conversation with them about why it’s important to disconnect from social media for a bit. Substitute something else in the cell phone’s place like a long movie or going out for a walk!

7. Come up with a self care plan together.

Keep your family motivated with their self care by being consistent. Sit down and plan family self care days, even if it’s as simple as staying home and having a root beer float night. Yum!

We hope you found these tips helpful. Keep us posted on how it goes with your family even if it’s a quick email to our support desk. Our team would love to hear from you.

If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to reach out to us! We’re here to help. For more tips, make sure you’re signed up for our newsletter at lovetplanners.com and check out our other pro-tips and planner walkthroughs at the blog section of our site! Questions or comments? Drop a line below!