Do you want your kids to grow up with a positive mindset focused on growth and success? Positive affirmations for kids can help you get started on the right path.
How to teach positive affirmations to kids
Everyone has an inner voice.
You know the one.
When you make a mistake the voice might say: I’m a failure.
OR
it might say: Hey, everyone makes mistakes. I can try this again.
So many people struggle with a negative inner voice.
I struggled with this FOR YEARS. My automatic thoughts during tough times or when I made mistakes were not kind to myself.
Even though I still struggle with this sometimes, I have come a long way and am able to form many more positive thoughts.
One main reason for my desire to change my thought patterns is because I have 2 little girls.
I want my daughters to grow up thinking and speaking positively about themselves!
I want to feed their minds with good thoughts and help them grow up with positive affirmations in their heads.
The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.
– Peggy O’Mara
I love this quote because for years I had a very negative inner voice, but I didn’t realize it. When I became a mom, I knew that I had to work hard to make sure my children grew up with a positive inner voice and I had to take active steps to make that happen.
What is a positive affirmation?
Affirmations are statements that verify the truth about something.
Positive affirmations are positive statements that you say to yourself to counteract the negative thoughts.
Basically, you want to change your inner negative voice to an inner positive voice.
Do positive affirmations really work?
Studies indicate that affirmations have helped reduce depression and raise self-esteem.
The great thing about our brains is that we can change them. We don’t have to stay stuck in a negative mindset. More importantly, we can help our kids avoid getting stuck in negative thoughts by raising them with positive affirmations and helping them develop a growth mindset.
Why positive affirmations are important
Have you ever heard your kids complain like this:
- I can’t.
- I’m bad at this.
- I’m a failure.
- It’s no good to try. I won’t get it.
Teaching your kid how to use and practice positive affirmations will have life-long, positive benefits.
Your kids will:
- Change their thinking patterns.
- Learn to see the positive side in situations
- Look at difficulties as exciting challenges
- Develop self-confidence and a growth mindset
Practicing positive affirmations
When one of my girls says something like “I can’t do it” or “It’s too hard”, I gently coach them to say something positive like “I’ll keep trying!” or “If I get stuck, I’ll ask mom for help.”
At first, saying positive affirmations can feel weird or fake. You (or your kids) might feel awkward and skeptical.
Persevere and keep saying positive statements and try to ignore the feeling. Remember you are trying to change automatic negative thoughts and this will take time. (Remember it took me years to get rid of my negative thoughts about myself!)
How to Help your Kids Practice Positive Affirmations
Two things that helped me (and can help your kids):
- How would you speak to a good friend who says this negative thing to you? (Hint: You would be kind and encouraging! So be kind and encouraging to yourself!)
- What is a true statement that you can use to counter this negative thought?
For example, your child says to you:
I’m so dumb! I can’t understand algebra!
What would your child say to a friend who says this to him?
What true statement can he use to counteract this negative one?
- I can learn new things.
- I am going to do my best.
- I can’t do algebra yet, but I will study each day and learn.
Or, your child says:
Nobody likes me! I don’t have any friends!
She can:
- Name out loud the friends she does have (even if only a few).
- say, I don’t have any friends yet, but I am going to say hi to one new person today.
A couple of extra tips that you, as a parent, can do to help:
- Use positive words when speaking to your kids. (A good rule of thumb is to say 5 positive words or statements to counter each negative one).
Frame things in a positive way – instead of “You’re too messy!” try “Let’s try to come up with a way to help you keep your room organized.” - Practice affirmations out loud with them.
Pick a few affirmations (3-5) and practice saying them with your kids each day (This is helpful for you and them!) - Post affirmations in visible places.
Put affirmations on stickies on the mirror, posters in the bedroom, notecards at the kitchen table…
(This step helped me tremendously when I was going through a really rough time in my life. I printed positive affirmations and stuck them all over the house and read them over and over, especially on very hard days.)
Finally, here are some ideas for positive affirmations you can practice with your kids:
25 Positive Affirmations for Kids
- I can learn new things.
- I love myself.
- I can be kind to myself and others.
- I can learn from my mistakes.
- I am brave.
- I like to meet new people.
- It’s ok to ask for help.
- No one knows everything.
- I don’t have to be perfect. I can do my best.
- I can solve problems.
- My family will always love and support me.
- Every day I can learn new things.
- I can start again tomorrow.
- I can make a difference.
- Mistakes mean I am learning and I’m not afraid to try.
- I haven’t figured this out yet.
- I enjoy trying new things.
- I ask questions to learn new things.
- I am a wonderful friend.
- I am creative.
- I am strong.
- I am patient.
- I am beautiful, inside and out.
- I am worthy.
- I can be myself.
If you want over 100 printable affirmation cards to use with your kids, check out my set here.
Thankfully my daughters have a love and zest for life already and I can keep encouraging them through positive affirmations.
I’ve watched my 5-year-old struggle with activities and mumble to herself with determination: “I can do it!”
She also has an infectious joy and one night said to me “I’m so excited about tomorrow!” I asked why (because I had nothing planned) and she said: “Every day has something exciting in it!”
Life can be really tough for everyone at times. I hope to keep fostering this positive attitude and encouraging a growth mindset in her throughout her childhood.
Why not help prepare your kids for challenging situations by helping them develop a growth mindset focused on positive thoughts? Your kids can learn to accept their own limitations while still growing and facing difficulties in their lives. Practice positive affirmations with them each day so they have a strong, positive inner voice and happiness throughout their lives! What do you think about affirmations? What are some positive affirmations that you used for yourself or your kids?
