Eight positive affirmations for children

Childhood can often be a confusing time for youngsters as they start to experience a range of emotions. Learning how to understand and cope with life’s ups and downs is all part of growing up.

Affirmations, or positive statements, can be a useful way to help children over-come self-doubt and negative thoughts about themselves, or their abilities. Mindvalley says: “Positive affirmations are so much more than just feel-good quotes and positive statements. In short, positive affirmations are statements that are repeated to encourage and uplift a person.”

For this article, we spoke to bloggers to ask what positive affirmations they use in their homes as well as the meanings behind them.

“Genius is 1% talent and 99% hard work”

The quote from Albert Einstein is just one positive affirmation that Jo from A Rose Tinted World uses at home: “I do not believe that talent alone is enough, you do have to work at things in life to get through. I hope that by giving my child self-confidence and the will to succeed that she will be successful and happy in all she does.”

Albert Einstein was one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century and his words of wisdom are often reiterated in the 21st century. Other notable quotes from the famous scientist include “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving”, and “Learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for tomorrow.”

Jo went on to tell us why she believes in the benefits of giving children positive affirmations: “To remind them that they should aim as high as they can. But that it is ok to not always succeed. Our best teachers are sometimes our mistakes, so we should remind them not to lose heart if they fail.”

“It always seems impossible until it's done”

This affirmation was coined by Nelson Mandela and teaches children that the seemingly impossible is something you can accomplish, although at the time it might not feel that way.

Katarzyna from Oh Mummy Mia explains why her family uses this particular quote: “I want to show my son that impossible doesn’t exist. If he has a dream and doubts himself, I will be there to show him that in the beginning, everything seems impossible.”

Any challenge, especially for children, can seem daunting and often the result can seem a long way off. However, as Katarzyna explains, positive affirmations such as this one provide encouragement and build up self-esteem: “I prefer to say to my son ‘you can do it’ and not to clip his wings at the beginning of his journey.”

"The more you nurture your education the more powerful you will be in the world."

The notion that education and knowledge are the most important things a person can glean from life is often instilled in children at a young age.

Education is acquired through formal institutions such as school, while knowledge is considered to be gained from experiences, though both are deemed important as Nicole from Keep Calm It’s Life explains: “I always tell my kids their knowledge is their superpower. I tell them ‘The more you nurture your education the more powerful you will be in the world’ because I want them to foster in their educations because their futures depend on it. By having a quality educational experience, the world is wide open to them. I want them to take it.”

Nicole also told us that she considers positive affirmations important because they “speak life into the mind”. She says affirmations are the foundation for building a healthy self-esteem: “I believe in finding new and creative ways to inspire children to be their best selves. Positive affirmations can build a person up, and by training a child to positively affirm themselves, they will be healthier adults because of it.”

“I can do this”

‘Short and sweet’ positive affirmations work just as well as lengthy quotes, as Louise from Mum and Son Adventures explains: “It is important to me to teach my son to be positive especially in the way he views and speaks to himself. There is so much discussion of children with anxiety and low self-esteem so anything we can do to prevent this affecting our children is definitely worth trying. There are many positive affirmations we use such as ‘I can do this’ and ‘I am happy and confident’.”

Having hope and optimism can do wonders for a child’s self-esteem and gives them some positivity when it feels like the odds are against them: “Sometimes we can have self-doubt or let other people’s views stop us doing things. These affirmations help us overcome that. My son also has a journal for explaining what made him happy that day which features affirmations and often a chance to write our own. I love when my 10-year-old son comes up with his own inspiring affirmations too! Recently they included ‘I am creative’ and ‘Never stop trying’,” says Louise.

“Just the way you are”

Positive affirmations can be gathered from anywhere, including song lyrics as Ella from Typical Mummy found out.

On her wedding day, Ella walked down the aisle while a string quartet played the Bruno Mars song “Just the way you are”. She told us that the song title has been framed and placed in their children’s playroom to act as a positive affirmation: “It is a song that means a lot to us as a couple and as a family. I often suffer with my mental health and my physical health isn't great either. I’m a big self-critic and sometimes try to push myself further than I should, always aiming for 150% rather than just 100%. I recognise that this is an unhealthy way to live so I am trying to teach my children that their best is more than enough - they are amazing just the way they are and don't need to push themselves too far to please others or to reach their goals.”

Ella said a lot of her personal feelings about this stem from her own negative past experiences after she “became desperate to please others”. She explained that she doesn’t want her children to endure what she went through: “I am trying to instil in them that they are amazing just the way they are and  they don't need to change themselves for anyone or anything.”

“Teamwork makes the dream work”

This affirmation aims to teach youngsters that working together can achieve amazing outcomes, whether that be in a sports match or school project. Being involved with a great team can be rewarding and motivating as Ella told us: “I first heard this phrase when my son was in pre-school because it was the class motto. We adopted it at home too, as we often refer to ourselves as a team. Whether it be tidying the house, getting ready for school or doing a supermarket shop, we try to teach the children that if we work together as a team the task will be done quicker and more easily, and will also be more fun.”

Ella told us that positive affirmations are important for a child’s development: “Today's society is full of pressures and stress so we need to do everything we can to help prepare them for this. Also, statistics show that mental health problems amongst children are the highest they have ever been so we should do anything we can do as parents and carers to help children have a positive mental attitude and a positive outlook on life.”

“I am myself which is exactly what I came to be”

Christina from Spiritually Aware Parenting told us why she uses the affirmation ‘I am myself which is exactly what I came to be’: “ I've always been passionate about releasing the need for my children to be anything but themselves in order to feel ‘special’ or worthy of love. Within today's culture which promotes outside achievements for a sense of self-worth, when we pass on to children that they, as soon as they are born, are unique, special and a spark of life unlike anyone else, then it provides them with a foundation of inner self-esteem, which is less fragile and dependent on outside experiences.”

Keeping affirmations for yourself or children simple is another piece of advice Christina gave us: “Breathe deeply before saying them and look for something that resonates with your child's moment. If they are frustrated then offer them words like ‘I am doing my best at this moment’, or ‘I am always learning’.

“Beliefs are thoughts we keep thinking and a young child forms their foundations for self-knowledge by the story they keep telling themselves. When we create simple packaged words that resonate within their hearts and it feels good to say, then we are helping them create strong foundations for the rest of their lives.”

“Sometimes I will win and sometimes I will lose. Both things will make me a stronger person.”

Many people believe it is important to teach youngsters that sometimes you win and sometimes you won’t, but there are lessons to be learned from each outcome as Helen from Witty Hoots explains: “I picked that affirmation because I noticed how much emphasis is put on always getting things right and how winning is seen as the ultimate goal.  

“As a family, we truly believe that sometimes when things going wrong or you have lost out, is also a time for reflection and growth. Both the winning and losing can make us stronger and more creative, so each should be viewed as a positive experience.

“I think positive affirmations can help children (as well as older children and adults) establish healthy positivity and a true acknowledgement of their emotions. It helps to build mental resilience and emotional stamina for future situations and relationships.”

Affirmations for children can be hugely beneficial as the messages are designed to calm worries, encourage successes and increase positive thoughts in their life. Children face a plethora of challenges as they navigate their way through life, which is why it is important to instil positive values and ideas from a young age.

With such busy lives, it can be hard to juggle the running of a home which is why having an extra pair of hands can be helpful. Hiring private household staff can help make life easier by lightening the load, as well as being an extra positive voice for your children, leaving you more time to enjoy life.