How to use mantras and affirmations to empower your children

Have you ever heard your child put herself down or say she is not good at something? Maybe something like, “everyone else is so much better at math than me”, “I’m the worst at…”, or “I can’t run fast like…”. I bet your heart melted and all you wanted to do was take away their pain and to convince them otherwise.

My youngest daughter has been going through a stage of “i’m not good at…” and really dragging herself down.

I could see this quickly manifesting into other areas of her life If she didn’t learn some coping mechanisms.

Starting children off with mantras and affirmations at an early age will empower them throughout their entire life. Anxiety is rampant now with children and some have turned to pharmaceuticals for support.

What is a mantra?

A mantra is a sound, word or phrase you repeat and is often used during meditation or praying.

What is an affirmation?

Affirmations are positive statements that are not necessarily repeated. They can be used to help overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts.

Both Mantras and Affirmations are positive techniques to use in times of stress to uplift, soothe, encourage and be the gentle nudge you need to come back to your best self.

How to use mantras to support your children

Below are a few ways I use mantras with my daughters. Your ultimate goal is to instill positivity and positive self talk.

I recently read children are programmed by the age of 8 with a subconscious identity. My youngest is 8, so this statement left a profound impact on me. The subconscious is formed by the messages we receive from our environment: teachers, parents, friends, tv, internet, advertising etc. At this young age our children don’t know how to filter what they hear and see, and subconsciously they adopt identity beliefs which may or may not serve them as they go through life.

Building self-esteem and values:

Encourage your child to take a 1st person voice, rather than hearing you say, you are smart, you are beautiful, you are kind, you are loving, you are helpful. Have them repeat:

I am smart

I am beautiful

I am kind

I am loving

I am helpful

Feel free to use words or expressions which they fully understand.

Making good choices:

At home we talk a lot about how spreading love, joy and helping others creates happiness in others and in ourselves. We wanted to inspire our youngest daughter to keep spreading love and kindness while she was at school.

We created this mantra together:

I am a good helper

I am a good friend

I am a good listener

I make good choices

I read once if you attach physical activity to a mantra it helps it stick. So we made a hand clapping game out of it. Dance parties are often a nightly occurrence at our house so we also turned it into a dance/cheer. The idea is to create a positive feeling and to make it feel good for your child.

Gentle reminders how special they are:

You know your child better than anyone. When their little spirit is deflated or they get hurt what loving words do you use? When I need to give my girls a love boost, I remind them how much they are loved, and all the beautiful things I see in them. Remember, our children are little sponges they hear everything we say. You can turn these loving words and phrases into mantras for when you are not around to tell them yourself.

I am a wonderful daughter

I am a wonderful friend

I am full of laughter

I am loved

Once your children get in the habit of repeating a mantra they will want to create their own. What I love about this is that you are opening a door that we all have. The door of fear. When we look fear in the eye and acknowledge it, then turn it around into a positive, we are changing our limited self-beliefs, we are transitioning to a growth mindset and this is exactly where our children’s minds should be.

When to use your mantra

in the morning, you want your children to start the day with good intentions, positivity and to acknowledge their superpowers
before they go to sleep. End the day full of positive affirmations and gratitude for who they uniquely are