Empowering our Children with Affirmations

As important as it is for parents to encourage, love and support their children, it is just as important that children learn to create these positive emotions within themselves.

It is very empowering for a child to create positive thoughts and feelings of self-worth, making it much harder for people to tear them down. As much as we don’t like to think about it, children will go through hardship in life, and we need to teach them how to deal with those tough times.

As our children learn behaviours and wire their brains, positive affirmations can be highly effective in nurturing their well-being. Affirming positive messages are like acts of kindness and love towards themselves that build self-esteem and self-belief. Children who develop a strong, positive inner voice can overcome difficulties as they get older. Mindful children are more likely to be focused and can create their own happiness and find their shining light within them.

We all develop belief systems about ourselves and the world around us from our childhood environments. The beliefs we pick up from family and friends, role models, television, magazines, and, even more so, social media can be nurturing or damaging.

“If we can encourage children to focus on their positive traits then they are less likely to define themselves on their inner critical critter.”

Negative beliefs can impact our lives significantly and can be hard to shift. But we learn to take control of our beliefs, where affirming positivity can play an impactful role. This can be done by repeating positive affirmations and incorporating them into our children’s daily routines.

How do affirmations work?

Regularly reciting positive affirmations for self-esteem can interrupt some children’s negative or anxious thoughts. This act alone provides them an incredible opportunity to retrain, rewire and reprogram their brains to think more positively. If we can encourage children to focus on their positive traits,

then they are less likely to define themselves on their inner critical critter.

For example, a child who is struggling with anxiety might use a positive phrase such as “ I can do hard things”, while a child who is struggling with anger might say “I can stay calm and in control” when faced with a challenge.

“Children are never too young or old to start learning tools that will nurture their mental health and elevate their self-worth.”

Affirmations for children can be done in a variety of ways. Depending on the child, they may want to say their affirmations silently using their inner voice, or they may want to visualise their affirmations, or say them out loud in front of a mirror, or maybe write down a few encouraging words they can glance at from time to time.

Positive affirmations can be said as needed or as a regular daily routine. Morning affirmations are a great way to start the day with a healthy dose of positivity. If parents and children go through positive affirmations together, this is a great conversation starter and encourages children to open up and speak more freely about their feelings.

Examples of positive affirmations for children

Short and simple positive phrases work best for children. Giving your child space to come up with their phrases can be a powerful way for them to see their own greatness! If your child struggles with self-confidence, have them come up with three things they like about themselves, e.g. “I am kind. I am hardworking. I am funny.”

If they have difficulty thinking of qualities, it might be helpful to have a list of words handy to choose from. Here are a few example affirmations to get you started:

I am strong
I believe in myself
I matter
I am happy
I am deserving
I am unique
I am enough
I am loved
I love myself

Children are never too young or old to learn tools to nurture their mental health and elevate their self-worth. Each child is different, so explore together the tools and positive affirmations that will help your child find their inner light.

No one will ever influence your child’s life the amount that their own thoughts will influence them. By teaching them a better way to talk to themselves, you’ll help them live their lives with inner confidence and strength.

Sending you all love and light. Go gently on yourselves. Coach Lindsay x

NorthernLife Nov/Dec 23