As parents, we always want the best for our children. But seldom do we understand that everything is going to be different once they step out of the comfort zone we have built for them. There is no cheat sheet to living life. Hence, you cannot teach your kids how to live in this world or what to do in certain situations or circumstances.

Life is not subjective and situations keep changing with time. As parents, it is important to understand that you can only equip your child with a balanced personality and positive thinking to help them sail through the choppy waters of life. How vital are your words in the life of your children?

Parents are a huge influence in the life of children and every word of encouragement they speak builds a positive attitude to overcome the future challenges of life. If you feel you are not capable or less worthy, it directs you to behave in the same way. On the other hand, if you believe in yourself and your abilities, you are bound to succeed irrespective of what others feel about you. That is the power of positive affirmations in life. When parents teach their children with positive affirmation, they build a foundation which cannot be shaken easily.

Remember, children not only listen to every word you speak, but they also imitate you. Hence, it is important to give them an environment that resonates goodness, confidence, joy and self-worth.

Impact of Negative Affirmations on Children

When parents are struggling and constantly lamenting in front of the child, he will either be timid and expect failure in life or he will be rebellious and defiant. This is because his mind has been fed with negative affirmations like “my hard work is never valued”, “we never have enough money”, “life is so difficult” and so on.

On the other hand, when the parents are quarrelsome, unhappy, fearful or guilty, children are often seen to be nervous and restrained. This is because his mind is filled with negative affirmations which confuse him and create a feeling of uncertainty and distrust.

Realising the Power of Positive Affirmations

While you might be facing hardships in life, it important to realise the power of positive affirmation to yourself and your family. Always have these discussions in private with your spouse and assure your children that everything is alright.

When parents use affirmations like, “Life is beautiful”, “ I am so grateful for all the blessings”, “I enjoy the challenges at work”, children imbibe the same. Such children are self-motivated and filled with gratitude for life. They grow up believing that every challenge comes with an opportunity and every day is a new day.

Do you want to create an affirming home where all of you are filled with confidence, positive thoughts and emotions, ready to grab every opportunity that comes your way?

Create an Affirming Home

The goal of an affirming home is to build a child’s character through positive words, feelings and thoughts about themselves. It plays an important role in the ways kids perceive their life and helps them to believe in themselves and have good self-esteem. Find creative ways to introduce positive affirmations in the lives of your children.

You can keep affirmation cards at different places in the house which are frequently visited. Breakfast table, living room or on the mirror would be some good spots to place your cards. Reading those cards frequently will help the children develop positive beliefs.

You can also make it fun by asking them to make their own cards and pin it on a board in their room. Make sure you keep the sentences short, crisp and in the present tense. Long and wordy affirmations can cause confusion in the mind and are difficult for children to remember.

The best time to repeat these affirmations is before your children go to bed. This is because the last thing on our mind is retained at the subconscious level and creates a lasting impression on the minds of the kids.

Try to avoid using negative words like “don’t” or “can’t” in the affirmations. Even though it is used in a positive connotation, negative word tends to have a negative effect on our minds. The early years of a child are instrumental to their growth and development. Therefore, it is important to understand that these positive affirmations form the foundation of your child’s self-esteem.

The confidence of a child is reflected in the way he thinks about himself and his capabilities. As parents, we can encourage and support our children by helping them exercise the positive affirmations and strengthening their self-confidence.