40 Family Self-Care Ideas
Written by Kristi Yeh, LMFT
Family self-care is powerful for two reasons. The first is that children learn more from our actions than from our words. So when we model the importance of taking time to nourish ourselves, our kids will learn how to practice self-love and healthy coping skills. The second is that it is not healthy to wait until you have time away from your kids to practice self-care, and me-time is not so easy to come by during certain stages of parenthood.
Enjoy over thirty family self-care ideas that focus on emotional wellness, mindfulness, learning, healthy relationships, technology and fun!
Emotional Self-Care
Have your child teach you something. Kids love to feel valued and skilled, and a great way to do that is to let them lead. Have your kids teach you how to draw something, how to do something with social media, or anything else that they are passionate about.
Positive self-talk. Use affirmation cards as a family to help everyone plant seeds of positivity, confidence and open-mindedness.
Affirmation Card Decks for Kids: Little Luminaries animal affirmation cards and the Feel Deal Heal affirmation card by Tiffany Roe. A couple of the cards use the word “badass,” so this deck is better for older kids. The affirmations are short and powerful, and are a hit with the middle schoolers I work with as a school-based mental health clinician.
Have each family member pick a self-care activity from a self-care card deck: Self-compassion card deck, Self-care card deck from Suzy Reading, and The Little Book of Self-Care by Suzy Reading.
Do a feelings check-in with each family member. Look up a feelings chart online and print it out for the family. I use the Kimochis feelings chart that is available in English and Spanish
Make a mindful glitter jar.
DIY stress balls.
Make your own scented room spray.
Use a diffuser. Some have lights that change color that are a big hit with the kids. Your kids can get involved in looking up different essential oil combinations or making their own.
Say something you are grateful for during dinner or before bedtime. Big Life Journal has a great blog about how to infuse your family with an attitude of gratitude. Grab your FREE Gratitude Game for the family from Parent Self-Care.
Practice growth mindset skills. Try the I Spy Growth Mindset Game from Big Life Journal or print out a list of growth mindset affirmations and hang them up in your home. Adding a coping skills poster can also be helpful.
Lollipop exercise to share about your day.
Journaling. Try Big Life Journals for kids of all ages (focus is growth mindset, confidence, connection, etc.), Good Morning, I Love You journal (focus is mindfulness, compassion, gratitude and joy) and the Five-Minute Journal (focus on practical goal setting, intentions and reflections).
Art, music, writing, and anything else creative!
Have each family member create their own self-care kit. If you need ideas, you can read “20 Products You Need to Create the Ultimate Self-Care Toolkit” by Parent Self-Care.
Mindfulness
Buy a mindfulness card deck for kids and have each family member pick a card and lead the mindfulness activity. I use the Little Otter Shop mindfulness card deck for kids.
Do yoga as a family. If your kids are older check out a class together, or try Cosmic Kids for younger kids. Two of my favorite relaxing poses are Legs up the wall/viparita karani and Corpse pose/savasana.
Drink hot chocolate and practice hot chocolate breathing. Check out Mindfulness Moments for Kids: Hot Cocoa Calm by Kira Willey.
Take a mindfulness class together.
Intellectual Self-Care
Take an online course. You can try a class about child development or family relationships, a Master Class, or anything else that is interesting for the family.
Let your child pick a book for you to read that they love. Discuss your thoughts about the book with your kiddo.
Start a self-care book club. There are wonderful picture books about wellness for kids, and then you can try Stand Tall Like a Mountain (family self-care and mindfulness), Burnout, Tiny Habits and more for older kids. The Parent Self-Care Bookshop page has curated recommendations for different self-care categories.
Relational Self-Care/Family Bonding
Create a family manifesto. Read “How to Foster a Sense of Belonging with a Family Manifesto” by Ashley Cullins for more inspiration. Blog published on Big Life Journal.
Unplug for the day together.
Plan a fun meal, decorate the table and dress up! Cook or bake a new recipe.
Enjoy a nature outing.
Take a nap together, even after they are toddlers. Falling asleep on the couch while watching TV is fun even when your kids are older!
Connect using each other’s love languages. Take the free 5 Love Languages quiz by Gary Chapman to learn more.
Plan a date or weekend trip with your child.
Digital Wellness
Family movie night or video games. Figure out what TV shows, movies or video games are appropriate using Common Sense Media.
Practice healthy tech boundaries with the Common Sense Media’s “Family Media Agreement.”
Set aside tech-free times, such as family meals, bedtime, etc.
Make a TikTok together if you have tweens or teens. Let your kids teach you a TikTok dance, they love it when we are willing to be silly!
Watch inspirational and interesting TED Talks together.
Try new breathing exercises using breathing gifs. This tends to be a hit with tweens and teens.
Check out various sleep, relaxation and mindfulness apps. See which ones you enjoy the most as a family. They have calming apps that are made for kids as well.
Games and Fun
Play old-fashioned games. Some family favorites are Apples to Apples, Uno, Scrabble and Exploding Kittens. Games depend on the age and interest of your children, and if you are looking for games that promote cooperation versus winning, then check out Peaceable Kingdom board games.
Try a cooperative game instead of a game that focuses on winning. Peaceable Kingdom games focus on cooperation and teamwork.
Slime time. I know many parents are not a big fan of the mess, but it is a homerun activity with kids! You can buy slime, make your own, or watch slime videos. If your kids are too young to not make a huge mess, or you just cannot with slime as a parent, kids love to watch YouTube compilations of making slime. A couple of great slime companies are PeachyBbies and SnoopSlimes.
Create something together. Bond over a DIY activity, and even better let your kids lead the way and see them beam with pride. A great book to check out is, “P.S. - We Made This: Super Fun Crafts That Grow Smarter + Happier Kids!” by Erica Domesek.
Plan a family adventure. It does not need to be expensive, and you can set the parameters as a family. Some family friends tried a city library challenge where you collected a sticker at each library you visited. The kids had so much fun and worked so hard to visit all 28 libraries in San Francisco that the parents had all of their stickers framed. Adding some novelty into the routine keeps things fun and interesting.
This list is not meant to be a homework assignment to tick off every week. Take 1-3 ideas and give them a try over the next month and come back to this list as needed for inspiration and encouragement. I hope these family self-care ideas will bring your household relaxation, presence, joy and connection!
Family Self-Care Resources:
Stand Tall Like a Mountain: Mindfulness and Self-Care for Children and Parents by Suzy Reading
Self-Care for Kids and Parents–How to Make it Happen! Blog by Suzy Reading
15 Self-Care Books for Younger Kids by Kristi Yeh
Big Life Journal growth mindset company that features free resources, inspirational posters and journals you can do as a family
Kristi Yeh is a parent of two, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and the founder of Parent Self-Care. She currently works in school-based mental health at a public elementary and middle school. A part of Kristi’s role entails discussing self-care with parents. Kristi is also the author of, Self-Care 101: Self-Care Inspiration for Busy Parents.
