Saying affirmations help young children self-soothe and stay calm especially when their caregivers aren’t present. One of the most important skill sets children need is how to manage their emotions. For very young children this is difficult and yet crucial to them being able to attend preschool or school. Affirmations are an easy to learn and research tells us that it only takes 6 seconds to switch the brain’s energy. Yes, the calm can happen in only 6 seconds. Parents and caregivers practicing affirmations at home provides children with an invaluable skill especially when you are not present. Sending your children off to preschool or school every day leaves you feeling vulnerable and unable to protect them emotionally. For instance, children often face the hurdles of being teased, bullied or left out in school settings.
How Do You Teach Your Children To Say Affirmations?
As soon as young children begin to speak, is a great time to teach affirmations. Not only do they help them self-soothe but they also promote self-confidence and positive thinking. The brain likes you to say your affirmations in a full sentence that begins with “I.” “I am Smart” or “I am Calm” helps alert the brain that you are acknowledging the readiness to self-soothe and calm. They repeat these affirmations several times till they fill the calm. There is a great little exercise that I use often to test how you are managing. The arm test is fun and easy to teach and use. Try this with your friends and older children and watch the gasp as they experience the difference.
Here Is How The Affirmation Arm Test Goes!
The arm test begins with the person you are testing. He/she raises her arm to shoulder height. They repeat a positive affirmation several times. You tell them that you are going to try and get their arm down but they have to hold strong. And they do! Then you ask them to say the opposite “I” saying. For instance, “I am Good” becomes “I am Bad.” They say this for several seconds holding their arm up and then you tell them to hold strong. Their arm will come right down. Happens ever time. Listen for the gasp when they realize that there really is a difference to what we are thinking and our ability to remain strong.
Let me share a funny story. I was asked to teach men in Graterford Prison in Pa life skills. The prison was experimenting with releasing prisoners serving long time sentences giving them skills to help in their transition. I stepped into the room and found myself with 25 really big men. What now! I started to speak and got no attention whatsoever. So I decided to get the tallest and strongest man in the room and do the arm test. He was 7′ tall. I am only 5’5″.
The rumbles in the room were significant and the advisor is looking at me like I have lost my marbles. I proceeded with a hope and a prayer. Lo and behold, that arm came right down. He looked at me and then his fellow inmates and said, “Whatever this little lady tells you to do, we are going to do it! It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I still have a couple of letters that they wrote to me.
Affirmation Round-Up Is A Fun Activity In Any Classroom, Try It!
Undoubtedly, affirmations work and children love them. Wherever I have been with young children, the Affirmation Round Up is their favorite activity. Part of Affirmation Round UP is that they circle the room with their affirmations, head to the front and yell out their affirmation for the week. They say “I am lovable” and everyone yells back, “Yes, You Are! The beams of light coming from these children light up the room and my heart each and every time.