How to Practice Self-Affirmations with Kids xyz

We believe in the power of affirmations. Words hold a lot of influence and especially, when going through hard times, they can be what we lean on heavily. Affirmations are words or phrases used to overcome hard times, so challenge yourself and remind yourself of what is true. While powerful and healthy for adults, they can also be used with children. This is an incredible practice for your child to begin using, and we have tips below for how to practice self-affirmations with kids!

Keep it simple

No need to come up with five different affirmations. Stick with one and let it become their mantra. We suggest affirmations that remind them of how amazing, strong and great they are. A few examples are “I am strong” “I can do great things” and “I am loved.” We’ve included a few suggestions above!

Read: Goal-Setting with Kids: 4 Things You Can Do Today

Help them make a habit out of it
We encourage you to help your child establish this as a habit. The easiest way to do this is to “habit stack,” where you stack the habit on top of something else that is already habitual, such as repeating it as soon as they’re done brushing their teeth or making their bed.  

Show them how they help
Share what your affirmation is with your child. Let them see you repeating yours throughout your day and when an opportunity comes up where they should use theirs (such as a hard time at school or a disagreement with a friend), suggest they repeat it. The more you demonstrate this practice, the more likely they are to pick it up themselves.

Read: How to Vision Cast with Kids

Have them write it out
Just as writing is important for adults, it is for kids, too. We suggest using The Start Today Kids Journal to help your child establish consistency and habits. There’s space for affirmations, as well as countless writing prompts and room to jot down dreams.