Perhaps you’ve had this experience. Your child lovingly embraces you and your heart swells as he or she proudly declares, “I love you!” Seconds later, that warm, fuzzy feeling diminishes slightly as the child then proudly declares his or her love for a favorite blanket or toy.
So the question then becomes, is it too much to try to teach our children to distinguish between various types of love: God’s unconditional love, love between a parent and child, adoration for a toy, etc.?
Whether we are trying to teach the different aspects of love or the importance of a spiritual foundation in life, as parents we can guide children in their spiritual unfoldment—toward recognizing their own Divinity—by providing them with tools they can use throughout their lives.
One particular technique or tool that the Unity community uses and is founded upon is the use of positive affirmations. These positive words open a dialogue with God and provide a means for children (and adults) to get in touch with the divine within us all.
What Are Affirmations?
Affirmations are statements of Truth. When we affirm, we are establishing positive “self-speak,” and recognizing the divine influence within our lives and within every situation. Michael Maday, former editor of Unity Books, explains the benefits of affirmations in the foreword to the Unity best-seller I Believe in Me: A Book of Affirmations:
One of the most important teachings in all of life is the principle of cause and effect. We always reap what we sow. When we eat nourishing food, we get healthy; when we eat junk food, we tend to get sick. Effects are put into motion by their causes.
In a similar way, the thoughts we think and the words we say are causes that shape how we experience and how we evaluate the events that occur in our lives. They may appear to be happenstance; they are not. They are effects put into motion by us. …
What a great gift it is to give children an understanding of the power of words and thoughts. They can build on this foundation a very good life indeed. It is also a gift to ourselves to remember the elegant simplicity of affirming and knowing the Truth about ourselves.
Affirmations During Family Time
Encouraging kids to learn affirmations and use them can be a family activity. For example, you can create your own affirmation card deck using index cards. Write an affirmation on each card and have your child(ren) decorate them. These affirmations can be simple ones that are easy to memorize, such as:
I am the greatest me that I can be.
I am safe and secure in God’s loving care.
Whatever I do, I do my best.
Before going to bed at night or as an addition to your morning routine, choose the next affirmation from the deck and take time to discuss and memorize the words. You may also want to tape the affirmation card to a bathroom or bedroom mirror so that the family can refer to it while preparing for the day.
Teaching our children to use affirmations is tool that they can use for the rest of their lives to call forth their highest good. We can believe and know that God is active and moving in them for all that they need and desire.
Suggested Resources:
I Believe in Me: A Book of Affirmations Written and illustrated by Connie Bowen
Winner of the national Athena Award for Excellence in Mentoring Author Connie Bowen created I Believe in Me after a fruitless search in the library for a book that would show her son Matthew what a magnificent person he was—a “spiritual being capable of infinite creativity and fulfillment.” Bowen both wrote and illustrated the book as a way for children to open their hearts and minds to positive expression.
This book is a highly effective tool for parents teaching young children the importance of positive words and thoughts.
You may also be interested in:
I Turn to the Light: A Book of Healing Affirmations by Connie Bowen
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Children and adults alike will find the 27 affirmations and colorful illustrations to be positive and uplifting. The messages help us recognize our inner greatness by opening the way to self-love and allowing us to experience our oneness with God. A Wee Wisdom® Book.
