Have you ever muttered under your breath “you can do this, you’ve got this, you can figure it out, let’s get this done” before a big interview, or the first day at a new job, or when you have to take your kids for shots, or when you have to roll out of bed and you know there’s no coffee in the house?
It’s a mini pep talk!
Saying it out loud somehow makes it real and helps us commit to the endeavor. At the very least is helps us kick our behinds into gear.
Or the coffee does…
Have you seen those videos floating around the Internet with the dads doing morning affirmations with their kids?
The videos are not only uplifting, but they made me think. Really think.
I loved seeing these dads teaching their kids strong moral values. I loved seeing the verbal commitment to these beliefs and values – by the dads and the kids.
(If the video doesn’t open in this window, it should open directly on YouTube’s site.)
When my daughter started going to school, I’d say things like “Have a good day. Mommy loves you.” Sometimes I’d thrown in, “be the best YOU today.”
When my son started preschool at age 3, I would definitely add, “be good.” I wasn’t worried about him being a bad kid, but I was worried about him doing something crazy inappropriate like peeing outside during recess.
We lived in the country…it was a legitimate concern.
And we’ve continued with these generic send-offs ever since.
Inspired by what I saw on the YouTube video, I’ve been doing morning affirmations before school with my kids for the past month or so.
What we say is not written in stone. It changes a bit from day to day, but revolves around themes of working hard, being respectful, showing kindness and empathy and building a positive self-image.
It always starts with “I am awesome!”
Then I say and they repeat phrases like:
I am smart.
I am kind.
I am respectful.
I am helpful.
I will be a good friend.
I really like the two sentences in that first video that say “No one is better than me. I am not better than anyone else.”
We always end with, “I am going to ROCK this day!”
When I first started doing this with the kids, they did look at me like I had 3 heads. Then there were a few days where they’d only whisper back to me. But now, if I forget to start it, they are the ones that remind me. “Mom! We didn’t do “I am awesome!'”
I don’t know what that means or if doing this really helps them in their day. I’d like to think it does. They have faced some adversity this year. They have had to be brave. They have had to be adaptable. And like every human being, they face self doubt.
I do believe making the world a better place starts at home. I want to raise happy, healthy, well-adjusted human beings who contribute to the greater good. Every little bit counts. Right now, this is part of our every little bit.
Thanks for sharing part of your day with me. It makes me feel good and I hope it gave you a boost as well. Here are some other posts you might enjoy.