Two weeks before winter break, Lilly and I started to say some affirmations both in the morning on the way to school as well as at night just before bed. I wanted her to have a better self image of herself then I ever did. I want her to know all the amazing things that she can do and that she does.
I started by looking up different affirmations on Pinterest and went from there. We would say things like “I am a good friend” or “I tried my best today”
You could see the difference in her moods and how she would try different things because she could. I always asked her what she wanted to add. At the time we had just stopped using pull ups at night so she would add “I no longer wear pull ups to bed.” and “I stay dry at night.” I cannot explain to you how my heart felt. I was so proud of her. Not only were we affirming but she was also manifesting! That’s my girl!
She also would ask if she could do affirmations on us. Saying things like “I am a good Mommy” “I made Lilly smile today.” Again my heart melted. I am trying to keep it together. As a mother sometimes you wonder if you are a good parent or not. So to hear that from my 5 year old allowed me to let go of some of that mommy guilt that I carry around.
Since the lockdown we haven’t been in the car much and our night routine has changed. I need to find a time to put affirmations back into our day because when I ask her if she wants to do them her face always lights up and she gets excited. It makes the soul feel good!
I hope that one thing she learns from doing this is that there is so much about her to love. That if a friend has been mean that day or a test score was lower than expected, that there are still so many amazing things about her. That the one thing you are worried about is just a small part of who you are.
She’s five now, but before I know it, she will be 10, then 15, and then 19. She will be learning about different relationships, going through tough times and viewing things differently then she does now. But, I want her to have these values and tools that she can use when it will get tough. I want her to approach situations differently than I did. Most important, I want her to learn.