3 Practices to Instill Self-Love In Our Littles
“How you love yourself, is how you teach others to then love you”
-Rupi Kaur
As a single mom, raising a daughter, I want to be continuously conscience of the message she receives about her happiness and her value being things that can only be built or destroyed by her inner voice. As a teacher of young boys (mostly brown and black), I want to be conscience of them developing their self-worth and understanding that their value should only be determined and measured by them. Compliments given to children I encounter or in my care are never limited to physical attributes of beauty, but directed specifically at the content of their character, or something specific and special about them. These are just some of the ways that I focus on assisting children is establishing a foundation for self-esteem, but this is just the tip of the iceberg! So many of our children will be rebuffed, rejected, and hated on at some point by the world around them. It is up to us to show them how to continue to be greater on the inside then the sum of these experiences on the outside. That way, they can carry a narrative of resilience, and self-love with the tools they will need to add onto this love as they grow.
Here are some suggested tools of affirmation to begin practicing with little ones in your life that can help guide them on their journey to develop self-love:
Environmental Affirmations
This can be:
-An Affirmation Station
Simply use a floor length mirror, a sign that states “I AM…” centered at the top, and adjectives encircling the glass that complete the affirmation positively! These adjectives should address inner and outer qualities! Ex. “I AM helpful, curious, hardworking, funny, important, kind, beautiful", etc.”
Card sets, such as this one, can be purchased from Etsy.com or make a lesson out of it and create the descriptive cards with your kids!
This can also be:
- Labeling of Desks or Small Groups using similar descriptive affirming adjectives. Example: “The Incredibles,” “The Marvels,” “The Fantastics,” Etc.
These containers from Dollar Tree can be used to keep each small groups work or for storage containers in your child’s room.
2. Verbal Affirmations
These can be:
- Spoken daily or weekly, and need to be specific to the individual, address inner, outer, and worldly affirmation. Below is an example of the affirmations my daughter and I use to start our morning!
Use the link below to sing your daily affirmations with your students or child:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud_eeFkzH4w
3. Literary Affirmations
This can be:
- Self-esteem building texts and interactive workbooks that encourage reflection and model how to train your inner voice to be strengthening, positive, and affirming! Here are some titles from my classroom bookshelf including one of Jovi’s favorites and are great for ages 5-12 years old.
