We all know that helping your child develop a healthy identity is important, but what about other ways to build their confidence? One easy way to boost your child’s confidence is to teach them daily affirmations! Affirmations are often used to help people build confidence and manage stress. By helping your child develop this practice, you can help them be more confident, happy, healthy people!
1. Why affirmations can be helpful
Did you know that, on average, our thoughts may be up to 70% negative? Although our minds may naturally swing toward negative thoughts, affirmations are a powerful tool to bring them back to positive things. Some studies have even shown affirmations to be helpful as a part of a treatment plan for people at a high risk of depression. Whether your child is at risk or not, you can help them build confidence by reminding them of their worth each day!
2. Choosing affirmations to do with your child
There are lots of helpful affirmations you can use with your child! A few good ones are:
- I am loved.
- I am strong.
- I am capable.
- I am smart.
- I am creative.
- I am a good friend.
- I am a hard worker.
Don’t be afraid to customize affirmations based on your child’s struggles or needs! There’s no one “right” or “wrong” way to do this. Aim for shorter affirmations when possible, though, so your child can easily remember them. If your child is older, consider involving them in the process. You could ask what they want to be affirmed in them, or show them a list of affirmations for kids and ask which feels good to them. Try starting with just one every day, you can always add more later!
3. Include affirmations in a consistent part of your day
Try to find a consistent part of your day to do affirmations. This should be something that happens every day, like brushing hair or washing hands for dinner. By including them in a consistent part of your day, you are increasing the likelihood you and your child will stick with it. For an extra reminder, it may be helpful to write them on a mirror with a dry-erase marker! Another great strategy is to write them on sticky notes all over the house. Small visible reminders can go a long way!
Now, you are ready to help your child build confidence by using daily affirmations!
