Children should always have some time for relaxation and today's modern day kids are extremely busy kids, regardless of their age, their lives are filled with numerous and different social and sporting activities.
Most under fives today will do a range of adult learning activities designed to give them the best possible start to their school education. Primary and Secondary school age children will have a huge range of leisure and sporting activities arranged for them after school and some children can be involved in as many as four or five extracurricular activities in a given week.
There is certainly nothing wrong with kids being busy, as long as they also have plenty of opportunities to relax and unwind. Teaching children how to relax is very important for their mental health and wellbeing and as such is a great life skill for them to learn.
Sometimes giving the child an occasional 'bored day' will help them learn to unwind and relax without parents feeling like they have to keep them active and busy.
1. Get your child to stare into a fire - Have you ever sat around a camp fire and just stared into the fire? Remember how relaxing and calming that was. No exertion, no need to think, or talk to anyone, just peace and quiet. This will give your child the same feelings of totally relaxing and letting go. The TV today has become the modern version of the camp fire and is certainly not good for their mental health if they stare at it for too long. A break every now and then is certainly good.
2. Let kids exercise without rules - Kids all over love to play act and pretend and many kids today have their lives so organised and scheduled that they never use their imagination. By giving your child free play they will have the ultimate benefit of being relaxed. This gives them complete control in their play and will certainly help them unwind and be distracted from the TV.
3. Let kids experience the 'flow' - This is a state that us adults have often found ourselves in when we are so engrossed in what we are doing, that we completely forget about time. It is the ultimate in unwinding and we get into the 'flow' when we are pursuing our passions and by allowing our kids to find activities that they truly love and can get lost in will give them the ultimate relaxed feeling. Free play will give younger children the same 'flow' feeling.
4. Help your child relax at bedtime - Find a routine that allows your child to calm down before bedtime instead of re-energising them. You can encourage them to become calm by reading a book with them or by giving them a calming and soothing back massage.
5. Relax and unwind with your kids - If you have an activity that you enjoy doing that relaxes and helps you unwind from your day, whether that's going for a walk or a swim, allow your child the opportunity to become part of your relaxation method. This way you get to relax and unwind plus spend quality time with your child.
For many parents it's natural to want to keep them busy and active and involved in numerous activities, rather than letting them become inactive and more inclined to sit in front of the TV. However, activity needs to be balanced with some unscheduled time so that children learn how to relax and unwind themselves, instead of always being on the go.
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