Positive Affirmations for Children
For children and adults alike, there is no greater feeling than being deeply loved. To us, this means feeling seen and valued just exactly as we are, feeling encouraged to share our unique gifts and talents, and feeling supported even when we fall.
This is the type of love all children deserve.
Now that February has arrived, feelings of love are front and center, which got us thinking about new ways to communicate affection and appreciation to our children. So we decided to turn to an expert.
If you’re a mom with an Instagram account, you’ve more than likely heard of Dr. Becky Kennedy. Offering parenting tips from her platform @drbeckyatgoodinside, Kennedy is refreshingly relatable and always completely on the mark. Her “good inside” moniker originates from her core belief that all children are indeed good inside. This provided the framework for her recent release, Good Inside: A Guide To Becoming The Parent You Want To Be. (10 out of 10, by the way. Definitely #AddToCart).
In her book, Kennedy asserts that a child’s number one priority is optimizing the connection he or she has with caregivers. This may come as a slight surprise to some parents, especially during those —ahem— “challenging” stages of development. But Kennedy says those struggle spots are precisely the time to strengthen the relationship.
“There’s nothing more valuable than learning to find our goodness under our struggles,” Kennedy writes in chapter 1 of Good Inside. “All good decisions start with feeling secure in ourselves and in our environment, and nothing feels more secure than being recognized for the good people we truly are.”
So in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, let’s do precisely that. Let’s affirm our children as the good people they are, and let’s give them the tools they need to join us in that practice.
We’ve created 14 kid-friendly, heart-centered affirmations— one for each day in February. These simple statements illuminate the good, centering positive, empowering thoughts. Used regularly, they can help children reduce stress, get motivated, and build confidence. (“I am deeply loved for who I am,“ for example). Popularized by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and supported by author Deepak Chopra, affirmations can help children and adults alike connect with their innermost selves to see all of the good that lives within.
To use, cut out the affirmations, fold them in quarters, and place them in a jar or bowl. (Your kiddo can help, too!) Carve out space in the day that makes sense for your family—perhaps before bedtime or first thing in the morning— and choose one affirmation to read out loud daily. It may help to repeat it together, eyes closed and hands folded over hearts. Intentional moments like this disrupt the “culture of busy” we often engage in, setting them apart as important.
If by chance an affirmation really resonates with you or your child, display it in a high-traffic area, such as on the bathroom mirror. By adopting the practice ourselves, we model positive traits such as self-belief and self-acceptance.
Our sincerest hope is that these affirmations help our Hunny families make space for deeper connections this month— with both our children and ourselves.