Lately, my adorable 4 year old has been having the most aggressive outbursts if she isn’t successful at something. Yesterday, she was trying to buckle her seat belt and screamed, “I CAN’T DO IT!”. It took us by surprise because it was such a small accomplishment to have such a fit over. We immediately looked at each other in astonishment and didn’t even know how to respond.
Enter Daily Affirmations
I enjoy doing these with my kiddos in the morning on the way to school. It’s a great way to calm our minds and bodies and prepare for the day. I love that it builds confidence and helps them to build strength in themselves. I have to remember that there is a lot of time in the day that I can’t be right there with them. I can’t help them talk with friends that are not making good choices. I can’t guide them through a tough time. I can’t calm them when they are upset. And in the long run we want our kids to be able to work out problems on their own.
One of the most important elements of positive affirmations is repetition. In order for them to be effective it is necessary to repeat them every day, several times a day. I try to do it once in the morning and once at night before bed. I just say the phrase and my child repeats it. I usually stick with 4-5 at any given day, it’s more appropriate for them to have a handful that they can rely on remembering.
We’ve been using these daily affirmations for a few weeks now and I love that they are starting to remember the sayings. Sometimes Maddox will lead and we will repeat. Eventually my prayer is that my kids will say these phrases to themselves during a tough time or when they are feeling anxious.
Do you do anything special with your kids before school? I’d love to hear your ideas on how I can encourage my kids each day.
