Positive affirmations for children are powerful tools that can be used to boost self-esteem and general perception of life. Affirmations have immense benefits for children and help them feel less stressed, more confident, or happier! In this blog post, we will look at what affirmations are and how they may be beneficial in your child’s life. We’ll include some creative ways to use them with children as well as a list of 150 positive affirmation phrases for kids!
What are positive affirmations?
An affirmation is a sentence or word you say to yourself that changes negative thoughts into positive thoughts. It’s kind of like a self-talk exercise. For example, if someone has negative thoughts about themselves and it’s affecting their mood, an affirmation might be “I am a fantastic person.” Affirmations are not meant to combat critical thinking or healthy skepticism, but instead they are positive statements that help give people permission to feel good about themselves.
A subconscious thought is an automatic, or involuntary, feeling that a person has about themselves. Subconscious thoughts are usually negative and mostly the opposite of their conscious thoughts. It doesn’t matter what we do or say, there will always be a subconscious feeling about ourselves. Positive affirmations are a powerful tool in challenging misconceptions about ourselves and promote more positive thinking.
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Who can benefit from positive affirmations?
EVERYONE can benefit from the powers of positive affirmations. At each stage in life, we could all use a new positive outlook during difficult times. Younger children benefit the most from positive affirmations as these become a a powerful way to set positive beliefs. Words of affirmations are a great way to help older children face the challenges of growing up and impact them to make better choices. Using affirmations at a young age plays an important role in shaping a persons personality and belief systems. Even adults tend to use positive affirmations as gentle reminders to “take charge of my life”. I tell myself that every single day.
How can I tell if a child needs positive affirmations?
Big emotions
When children have big emotions, they might feel like having a tantrum. They might not want to share and they might be angry or sad. When children have big emotions, it can sometimes make them act out with their friends or family members. They could also get angry or sad because they don’t want to go to school or do something fun that has been planned for them. Sometimes when we have big emotions about something, we don’t know what to do with our feelings and so that is when we might need help from adults like parents, teachers, counselors etc.
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Negative self-talk
Negative self-talk is when a child speaks negatively about themselves. This can include things like belittling thoughts, feelings, or actions. A lot of children who have negative self-talk might have low self-esteem and feel bad about themselves. If a child has negative self-talk, they may not feel as good about themselves and be more likely to engage in inappropriate behavior and make unhealthy choices. Negative self-talk can also lead to serious mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and even suicide.
The first sign of negative self-talk is usually sadness. Children with this kind of mindset will usually whine or cry a lot because they
Stressful situations, bad days, difficult situation
There are many difficult situations that children might have to face. Some examples could be not getting a favorite toy, not being able to play with friends, or even being bullied by other children. At times, stressful situations can be as big as a family situation such as divorce and separations, moving, or even death. When this happens, a child might feel sad and angry because they don’t know what to do with these feelings.
It is important to realize that what may seem like tiny tiny issues to adults might be big problems for children. We should not discredit how big a problem is for the child, rather try to empathize. Look at the situation from their shoes.
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Become a great listener
Being a good listener does not only mean hearing your child talk. It involves full body listening. Put down everything you are doing and focus your attention to the child. Taking the time to listen to a child’s stories and experiences can serve as a valuable tool in identifying how they are feeling inside. Try to validate how they feel and acknowledge the feeling. It can help if adults listen to them and say something back like “I hear you”.
What are the benefits of positive affirmations?
I know what you are thinking, do positive affirmations work with children? The answer is a plain, big YES.
Positive affirmations are a powerful tool to teach Social Emotional learning. Social emotional learning is the process in which children can develop their social and emotional skills. Emotional skills are the abilities to identify, understand and manage their own emotions, as well as identify and empathize with the feelings of others and being a good friend. Social emotional learning also emphasizes skills like asking for help, managing relationships and taking responsibility.
Positive affirmations stimulates a growth mindset by replacing negative thoughts and promotes positive change. When children are in a positive mindset they are able to increase confidence to try and learn new things. They become more resilient and capable of finding solutions to a hard time.
Positive affirmations for children are a great way to improve self-esteem and confidence. Children can easily feel discouraged if they make mistakes or get teased by their peers. Positive affirmations help build up your child’s mental health, and can also encourage them to believe in themselves more!
How do I teach my child positive affirmations?
Here are some creative ways to use positive affirmations with kids:
Morning affirmations on a daily basis
Have a jar of positive affirmations that your child can pull from once they get out of bed. Morning affirmations can be used as a way to start the day. They can help you get into a better mindset and can make you feel more positive before starting your day.
Block out a specific time for daily affirmations and quiet time
Creating a routine around saying positive affirmations. Maybe when the kids arrive from school or – if you are a teacher – after recess when it is time to calm down. Let’s be honest, we do not always know what goes on when kids are off playing. This gives the opportunity to fight off negative effects of bullying, insecurities, and even gives them a chance to settle down quietly. They can even practice saying these affirmations while taking deep breaths.
Repeat affirmations in front of the mirror
Surprise your kiddo with a message on the mirror every day. This gives them an opportunity to pair positivity with the way they look and feel about themselves.
Surprise children with an unexpected note
Stick notes regularly in places they are bound to look. This could be their lunch pack, notebook, pencil case, pocket etc. This assures them you are thinking of them, helps them get through a rough day, and gives them a tiny little hug when you are not with them. It is a great way for children to feel like they are not alone.
Have a list of positive affirmations in your child’s notebook
Every beginning of the month I would sit down and make a list of 10 “Pick Me Ups” or 10 affirmations that resonates with my clients. We would write the list down in a notebook that they always use and whip it out every time we needed a gentle reminder or something to make them feel happy.
Make decorations of your child’s favorite positive affirmations
Choose an affirmation with your child every month. Just like decorating for a party, use this affirmation as inspiration to decorate their personal space. You could cut out letters spelling out the phrase and make a sign on the wall with festive decorations. Creating a positive space is the goal here.
Create an affirmation board
Make a collage of positive affirmations on a poster board. Be creative and limitless!
Modify a fun activity
Use a game like Jenga and write positive affirmations on the blocks. On board games, write affirmations on the spaces. You can be totally creative and random when modifying these games. Try going on Facebook Marketplace or getting used games from garage sales and grab used games. You can even make a totally different one all about positive affirmations!
Print a picture
Imagine a safe place and print a picture of it. This place is somewhere you can close your eyes and imagine being while practicing positive affirmations. Let your child decide where they want to keep the photo, maybe frame it? How about putting it in their little wallet? A notebook? Wherever they choose!
List of positive affirmations for children
- Today is going to be a great day
- I can do wonderful things
- I can make great decisions
- I am beautiful
- Amazing things can happen if I try
- I am worthy of love
- There are people who
- I am cared for
- Tomorrow is a new day
- I am capable of finding creative solutions
- I am a hard worker
- The first thing to do is always to try
- Hard things do not last forever
- I can always have a fresh start
- I can make a positive impact on others
- Good things happen to me
- I love myself
- I am smart
- I forgive myself for my mistakes
- I believe in myself
- I can handle this
- I am brave
- I can make a difference
- am unique
- I learn from my mistakes
- I can be anything I want to be
- I am safe
- I am free to be myself
- I am talented
- I trust myself
- I am capable
- I do not need to be perfect
- I can get through anything
- Everyday is a fresh start
- I can do hard things
- I can learn to do anything
- I am a leader
- I am a good listener
- I am enough
- I am creative
- There is magic in me
- Any action is better than no action
- I have so much to offer
- I appreciate what my body can do
- I am beautiful inside and out
- I can reach my goals
- It is okay to ask for help
- I can figure things out with others
- I am strong and brave
- My life is beautiful
Get the Full list of Affirmations + Printable Cards here:
Enjoy your affirmation cards and remember to pin this post so you can keep coming back as we add to the list.
Until next time, let us know how you used your cards in the comments.
Best wishes,
Abigail