How to use Affirmations with your Kids

Affirmations & Encouragement cards may be new for you, or may be new for your child and that’s great, because “If you’re not learning you’re not growing”.

BUT……

Sometimes it can be difficult to know how to incorporate affirmation cards into your life so your child benefits and see the purpose behind such a powerful tool.

It is a great idea to be honest and to talk to your children about reading and thinking about affirmations so they understand what they are for and how they work.

Helpful ways to explain and discuss affirmations with your child:

• “Affirmations teach you (us) new and positive ways of thinking. They can help you believe in yourself, feel happy and help you to feel better when you are angry or sad. Let’s try them and see what we think!”

• “Affirmations encourage kind and happy ways of thinking, you will remember them when you need them most.”

After explaining to your child the purpose and benefits of reading and discussing positive affirmations, it can be helpful to place our cards around your home in areas that they will see them.

Great ways to include affirmation cards into everyday:

• On the mirror in their bathroom (something to read whilst brushing their teeth!)
• In your child’s lunch boxes (a beautiful encouraging note or reminder)
• On their bedside table (a positive way to wake and start the day)
• In the kitchen for all to see (discuss how your child feels and thinks about the card they have read.)
• Pop one into your older child’s high school diary or ask them to put it in their locker, so they feel your connection and support during the school day

Tips For Younger Children

For our “Little Minds” under the age of 5 or 6 when they’re not yet reading, you can read the words on each card during bath time, bedtime, over dinner or chat about them on a car trip.

This works very well at this age and many have found this process of incorporating reading affirmation cards into their daily or weekly routine a beautiful way of staying connected to their little ones.

Tips for Primary Age Children

You may like to read your affirmations together. It can be a beautiful bedtime ritual, or encourage your children to “turn over” a new card each morning and come and tell you what their card says. You may find that this allows you the chance to discuss emotions or issues that they may be experiencing, opening doors for conversation.

Tips for Teens

Encourage your teen to read their card out loud (even just to themselves) as it is by far more powerful when read and “heard”.

Repetition and frequency is critical. We all know the power of repetition when building new habits.

Just before bed at night and first thing in the morning are the two most powerful times to engage with affirmations.

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The simple act of reading these positive and encouraging words will help our children’s beautiful souls affirm positive beliefs, creating a fantastic foundation that will help our children to internalise good values, which allows them to develop confidence and a health dose of self-esteem.