The power of positivity is something we have all heard a lot about over the past few years. Positivity has been touted as the great fixer of all things with just the power of the mind! In theory, it’s easy, but as we all know, the human brain is not a simple thing to retrain. This is where we often fall short. The consistency and time needed to form a habit require willpower and accountability. Without these, we can write all the affirmations we like, but we won’t succeed unless we put them into practice!
As parents, we have the opportunity to guide and mentor our children to feel confident, resilient, and wonderful as the unique, special people they already are. If we notice fear, scarcity, or other challenges creeping into their lives, creating positive affirmations that affirm their self-belief is a great way to foster change and transformation.
What Are Positive Affirmations and How Can They Be Put into Practice?
Positive affirmations are a self-help method that helps build confidence and attract good things into our lives. They are simple statements designed to shift our mindset from negativity to positivity. The key is to repeat them regularly to challenge negative or unhelpful thinking. At times, we might hear things like “No one likes me,” “I’m dumb at maths,” or “I don’t want to run cross country because I’m too slow.” Helping our kids learn to speak kindly to themselves is a great way to help them believe in themselves, develop a growth mindset, and feel better about things they find challenging.
Examples of Positive Affirmations
Positive Affirmations for Self-Esteem:
I am strong
I am important and special
I am brave
I am in control of my own happiness
Positive Affirmations for Resilience:
I learn from my mistakes and keep on trying
Practice makes progress
I am capable of doing hard things
I can achieve my goals
Positive Affirmations for Friendships:
I am a good and kind friend
I can use my words without fear
I have good friends who love me
How to Use Positive Affirmations
Remember, you are your child’s biggest and most important role model, so I recommend going on this journey together. Sit down and have a chat about the situations or feelings your child is being challenged by. Is it at school drop-off time due to separation anxiety? Is it about friends who sometimes want to play and other times don’t? Is it about trying new things or persevering when things get tough? Is it about speaking in front of a group? Once you have some ideas, you can write the affirmations for your child, have them draw a picture to go with them, or they can write their own.
Add your own affirmations to the list too so you can help each other! Accountability works wonders for getting us to stick to our goals.
When to Use Them
Read or say them each day!
Use sticky notes and put them on the bathroom mirror to repeat them together at teeth time.
Make a poster or some pictures and say them each night at bedtime.
Place them on the fridge and say them in the morning before school.
There are so many opportunities to embed these positive thoughts into our child’s psyche and help them truly thrive and reach their full potential. There is real power in shifting our mindset and then seeing the evidence in our lives—after all, what we focus on, we notice more of!