Cues and Phrases to Start Them on the Right Path

As we speed along (is it already the end of January!), you may be wondering how to best prepare your children, and our favorite campers, for the new year. Mindfulness is a research- and evidence-based intervention that prepares children psychologically, emotionally, and mentally to cope with struggle, improve their outcomes, and learn self-awareness. Affirmations are a great and simple strategy in the mindfulness toolbox. Below, we’ve compiled a list of 22 affirmations for building a growth mindset, expressing gratitude, reaffirming self-esteem, bolstering resilience, and choosing joy in 2022.

To Build a Growth Mindset

What is a growth mindset? When your S@SSer learns this way of thought, they learn that intelligence isn’t fixed and that their talents can be developed through hard work. In short, they learn to view challenges as opportunities to improve.  According to “Mindset Theory and School Psychology”, “the mindset a student holds can influence important psychological and behavioral factors, including reaction to failure, persistence, and level of effort, and expectations of success…”, all of which lead to enjoyment of learning and a lifelong desire to improve. 

Here are some excellent growth mindset affirmations for your young ones:

1. When I put forth the effort, I can improve.
2. Every mistake is a chance to learn.
3. My best effort is enough for today.
4. I learn new things every day.
5. I strive for progress, not perfection.(Alternatively, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good)

To Affirm and Find Gratitude

Research indicates that implementing daily gratitude practice as a parent is directly correlated with increased happiness and gratitude in children. Gratitude in and of itself is a proactive intervention that forces children to think positively and with an appreciation for all that they already have.

Try using these affirmations: 

6. I am grateful for the life I have.
7. My parents are thankful for who I am.
8. I am thankful for my family and friends.
9. I am appreciative of this new day.

Want to go a step further in gratitude practice? Try a gratitude walk, where you point out things you are grateful for (for example: “I am grateful for the sun for its light and warmth”), donate old toys to charity, or teach your kiddo to say thank you to someone each day. Remember, gratitude isn’t about the big things, but the little ones that make each day worth living. 

To Bolster Self-Esteem

Here’s a cool fact: people who use self-affirmation (aka, these phrases about self-esteem) are able to restore their sense of self-competence by reflecting on their own sources of worth. What does that mean for your kiddo? Better executive functioning, more feelings of self-efficacy, and improved cognitive functioning, all of which improve their outcomes across the board.

Give these self-esteem primers a go:

10. I get better every single day.
11. I choose my attitude.
12. I am worthy of love.
13. I have the courage to believe in myself.
14. It is enough to do my best. 

To Build a Sense of Resilience

Resilience is tricky, as it’s both innate and learned. Resilience can mean your child’s ability to adapt to difficult circumstances and improve their outcomes, and a large preponderance of data points to resilience as a main factor in mitigating stress and trauma throughout development.  While some kids are born with a hardy sense of resiliency, others need help building up the skill, like using the affirmations below.

Key affirmations to improve resiliency: 

15. I am in charge of my life. 
16. I can get through anything.
17. I will take care of my feelings. 
18. Challenges help me grow. 
19. The best leaders know when to ask for help. 

To Find Joyfulness in Life and Play

Naturally, as a camp that focuses on joy, we have to close out with the most positive of affirmations. You can help your child make a happier life by training them to think positively with these affirmations. By helping them choose happiness (affirmation 20), find joy despite the outcome of their activities (affirmation 21), and recognize their ability to form positivity with their own thoughts (affirmation 22), you’ll set them on the path to success. We can’t wait for that path to lead back to us this summer!

Affirmations for joy and play: 

20. Today I choose happiness.
21. I am a good sport.
22. My positive thoughts create positive feelings. 

We’ll be chiming in over the next few months with more tips for your S@SSer and implementing these strategies ourselves come summer. Let’s see the overlap; you try these at home, and we’ll see who recognizes the phrases when we use them at camp this year! Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Gina Christiano
M.A., Educational Psychology, specialization in School Psychology