Parents do their best to meet as many needs as they can in order to promote healthy development for their children. But one aspect that parents often miss is how to teach their child effective self-care practices.

I’m Keri Sawyer, a child and adolescent therapist at Bloom Child Therapists, and in this video, I’m going to show parents a fun way to teach their child self-care for under $15.

But before I jump in, download the checklist from the link around this video. It will give you everything you need to get started on a self-care kit.  

Okay, the first step is understanding the five areas of self-care:

The first category is Physical self-care: This includes any activity that cares for our physical bodies.

The second category is Emotional self-care: This includes activities that help kids Name, challenge, accept, or express a wide range of emotions while not acting out towards others. 

The third category is Spiritual self-care: Whether you are religious or not, this is the act of acknowledging and contemplating our spiritual side or our existence. 

The fourth category is Intellectual self-care: This includes engaging in critical thinking and creativity. 

The fifth category is Relational self-care: This includes activities that promote healthy interactions with family, peers and potential new friends. 

Now that you understand the five areas of self-care, it’s time to pick out a box or bag that will fit all the new self-care tools that they can keep in their room or somewhere else in your home. 

Okay, now you’re ready to go to the store. Let your child know they can choose two items related to each self-care category that they believe would help them when the need arises. If they ask you to decide for them or you feel the urge to direct their choices, pause, and then give them encouragement that you think their choice will be great. 

Don’t forget to download the checklist to make sure you have items for each area of self-care. 

If you want your child to learn to take care of themselves, print out the checklist and consider trying this fun activity to give them tangible tools for self-care. Instead of trying to meet all of your child’s needs, teach them how to take care of themselves and watch them develop and learn to take ownership over their health.

There are many ways that teen depression can manifest. Some of these symptoms can be difficult to spot and may go unnoticed for a long period of time. 

I’m Keri Sawyer, a child therapist and in this video we will discuss 4 signs that could indicate your teen is struggling with depression. 

The first sign parents should look for is of withdrawal and isolation

A change in the amount of time your child spends with friends or family members could be an indicator of depression.  A teen that was previously very involved with friends or sports may suddenly become more isolated and avoid spending time socially. 

If you experience your teen spending several hours a day on their phone or playing video games without interacting with others, this could be a sign of depression. 

Depression can also lead to feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness which may cause an individual to withdraw from social contact.

The second sign parents should look for is a change in sleep, appetite and mood.

A change in the amount of sleep your child gets, significant weight loss or gain, or dramatic mood swings could be signs of depression. 

While there are certainly typical developmental changes that could naturally impact your child’s sleep, appetite and mood, a teen struggling with depression will exhibit changes that are significantly out of character for their personality. Teens with depression often experience a lack of energy and may sleep more to escape the feelings they are experiencing. 

A teen that begins to lose significant weight due to a new lack of interest in eating may indicate signs of depression.  Or if your teen experiences mood swings frequently it could be a sign that something else is going on that should be explored. 

The third sign parents should look for is lack of energy and motivation

A teen that previously had a lot of energy and was very motivated may suddenly become lethargic. 

This could be another sign that your teen is struggling with depression as individuals with depression often lose their drive to complete tasks they once enjoyed. If you notice your teen having difficulty concentrating or completing school work or basic tasks, it could be an indicator that they are struggling with depression. 

The fourth sign parents should look for are thoughts of death or suicide.

Thoughts of death or suicide are common among individuals struggling with depression and it is important to always take suicidal statements seriously. If your teen is talking about suicide or death this could be an indicator that they are experiencing depression. While we can help you and your teen navigate suicidal thoughts and depression, if your teen expresses to you that they want to end their life and have a plan you should call 911 immediately.  

Teenage depression is a serious condition that can be difficult to spot. If your teen has been experiencing these signs for more than two weeks, or if they are showing any other symptoms of mental illness then the problem might be beyond normal feelings of sadness. 

We’ve outlined some of the most common signs and symptoms of teenage depression. If your teen is experiencing any or multiple of these depressive symptoms, schedule an appointment today! We can help.