Fall Self Health Assessment For Moms and Kids

Fall Is A Time To Nurture Ourselves and Our Children
I love fall for the bountiful garden crops, fresh food and crisp fall air. It seems so natural to nourish our bodies with good food throughout the summer and fall. It is also a time to take stock of where your body is physically. Most of us have small aches and pains that we ignore or push off, thinking it will go away. Every time the season’s change it can serve as a reminder to ourselves to reassess our body and think about what is working well and what maybe needs to be addressed.

As we begin this fall, take the time to ask yourself a few questions about your own health.

• Is there something that has bothered you more than a few times in the past 3 months? Ie- migraines, back pain, sore foot, constipation, upset stomache, insomnia, etc
• If there is something that has bothered you, has it impacted your daily life?
• Have you blamed yourself for something that doesn’t feel right or is injured (“My back hurts because I am overweight.” “If I stretched more, I wouldn’t have back pain.”
• Have you dismissed your discomfort as “just part of being a mom?” (I leak when I sneeze because I had kids.” “My back hurst because I have a new baby?”

While every ache and pain or mini injury isn’t a reason for huge concern, if you find yourself making excuses for recurrent aches, pains or alterations in your body habits, it is time to listen.

If You Think You Don’t Have Time For Self Care, Here Is Why Your Should Make The Time
Let’s face it… The American Way is to work and give…. Never ask for help unless it is an emergency. Take care of everyone else first… This is not a healthy habit and it is surely one we don’t wish for our children. Be the model of change for your lovely children!  I think we would all agree there are only a small percentage of people who are connected with their body well and listen to it’s signals for rest, proper nutrition, exercise and medical intervention. We should want all of these things for our children.  We have to lead by example. If you are a new mom, take it from a veteran mom, ask for help when you need it. No one can do it all well alone!

How To Teach Our Kids To Be Good Guardians Of Their Body

• One way to teach children to listen to and understand their body’s needs for proper health is to vocalize your own introspection with regards self health.

• For example, if you feel run down, remark to your kids how “you feel like your body is running low on energy… I am going to eat some oranges for vitamin C and get a good night’s sleep.”
• If you have a sore shoulder, but can do everything with just a bit of pain, ask them for help to carry some groceries (even if it is just a bunch of bananas).  It is so important to teach our kids that they should always be comfortable to ask for help. You might say, “if I have some help and can rest my shoulder, I will feel better much faster.”

• Ask your kids at the end of the day how their body feels…. Does it feel tired? Did you feel strong or fast today when you were playing? Do your muscles feel sore from all that hard work? Learning to describe how they feel helps them to key into their own body’s signals and begin to put descriptors with these feelings. This is a life skill we all need!