5 Affirmations Every Baby Needs to Hear
According to Hollywood, it doesn’t matter what you read to a baby as long as you do so in a soothing tone with a voice dripping in honey. In movies, you’ll see a dad reading the newspaper to an infant so they can catch up with the news while actually getting the child to sleep at a reasonable time,
But kids grow up fast and they’ll need to connect words with meaning, so if you can get away with it now, you won’t for long. Or if you do, they may feel inordinately secure around stock market terms, and one day you’ll find you’ve accidentally chosen their career for them.
However, when it comes to affirmations, the daily messages we send our children verbally and non, the meaning they should receive from their parents comes down to this: You are loved, you are loved, you are loved. Even when telling them about something they did or said, it’s still all about your love.
Hey, I noticed you have a brilliant imagination! The undercurrent message: And I noticed because you are loved, you are loved, you are loved.
Show that deep bond you have with them by using these five affirmations whenever you can.
You Bring Joy
An important message is that your love is unconditional. Even if they don’t like your favorite team or don’t want to participate in a beloved hobby you’d always pictured doing with your child, they make life better just by being themselves.
Even if they don’t want to run the family business. They still bring joy.
Having something special you say that’s just for them is a great way to reinforce their importance to you.
“You are my sunshine,” for instance, is simple and lovely. In this collection of cool wooden nursery signs, there is one with this quotation. Hang it in their room. They’ll never forget the time they were first able to read the words and how special they are to you.
You’re Important & I Enjoy Spending Time with You
I put these two affirmations together because they both require the same action: Time. No matter how much you say it, in the end, this love message only passes the test when you make time for your little one.
Spending time with them shows they’re important in your life and you enjoy their company.
It’s Okay to Make Mistakes
We all mess up. Start your children young with the idea that we all make mistakes, but that’s okay.
When you slip up, tell your child that you did even if they’re too young to understand. They’ll learn. Keep your tone calm, though. For them to believe that everyday errors are natural, you have to believe it. Say, Oops! I made a mistake, but that’s okay. Everyone makes mistakes.
Here’s a song about making mistakes-most children love it when you sing to them, and they love learning concepts when they’re presented musically. When they’re older, they’ll do the singing and the lyrics will pop up in their minds when they need them.
The picture book Beautiful Oops! Is also a high-rated, lovely way to reinforce this concept.
The description reads, “A life lesson that all parents want their children to learn: It’s OK to make a mistake. In fact, hooray for mistakes! A mistake is an adventure in creativity, a portal of discovery. A spill doesn’t ruin a drawing—not when it becomes the shape of a goofy animal. And an accidental tear in your paper? Don’t be upset about it when you can turn it into the roaring mouth of an alligator.”
And … I Love You
Don’t let your love only be evident in the other affirmations you say-make sure you say the actual phrase often and mean it. Don’t be one of those families that feel shy around the most important words you can say to each other. They’re good words to hold onto when life gets tough.
Good luck! And happy parenting!
