The Role of Self Care in Early Childhood Education

I had the opportunity to guest write for the National Association for the Education for Young Children (NAEYC)'s Focus on Ethics Column (September 2015). In the column, I spoke about the importance of self-care in our profession.

What is self-care, and why is it important to cultivate in our lives?

Self-care is the self-regulation of one's physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs. It is the ability to recognize and identify when you do not have your needs met and plan a course of action to change your behavior or circumstances. Why is self-care important? As one early childhood educator shared, self-care is how you ensure that you bring your whole self to your work in the classroom and the early childhood education community. 

What is keeping early childhood educators from enacting self-care in their daily lives?

Research in early childhood education shows that our personal and professional sense of self merges to form one identity. Our most significant vulnerabilities originate from the traits valued in our field, caring, compassion, and self-sacrifice. These traits are hard-wired into who we are and are the attributes that keep us from self-care.

Some of the desirable traits in our field support the suppression of self for the greater good. As early childhood educators, our personal characteristics and values keep us from making choices that support self-care. How many times have you stretched beyond what was healthy for your work in classrooms and programs? If you have sacrificed time and money or given up activities for the sake of the children or program, then it may be time to reflect on self-care.

I am not advocating for minimums of practice in the classroom. I believe that all children deserve our very best. As I reflect on my work, it serves as a reminder that we can find ways to create time for self-care. I started examining my self-care through a journaling practice. When I feel up or down in the classroom, I examine when things went well and did not go well. A journaling practice is a small step, but it helped me observe my practice patterns. 

As a topic, advocating for educators and self-care is our mission. Look for future postings on the importance of self-care.

How are you caring for yourself today?