Being a parent is not easy—that’s undebatable. But, we don’t often consider how tough it is to be a kid. Being young and having to figure out an entire world is a daunting task. With all of their quirks and particularities, children are pretty much just doing the best they can in a society they are just learning about. They look to us for answers and reasons, but also for encouragement and guidance. With that in mind, we’re sharing more than 30 positive affirmations for kids to keep in your parenting tool bag, for a simple way to let them know that you think they are truly as amazing as they are.
30+ Positive Affirmations for Kids
1. I’m So Proud of You
Sometimes the most simple affirmations for kids are the best ones. Saying “I’m so proud of you” can mean so much to your little one’s ears and heart. They need to know that, regardless of whether you’re dealing with tears or tantrums or laughs or cuddles, you’ve always got their back.
2. You’re So Thoughtful
This is what I tell my boys even after the smallest of kind gestures—if they keep hearing how kind and considerate and compassionate they are, I know they’ll grow to be even more mindful of their actions and how they can affect others.
3. You Have Great Ideas
Remember when you were a kid and you came up with those nutty ideas that really had no foundation in reality? How did the people around you respond? One of the best things about children is that their imaginations have no limits, and that’s really a skill you want to encourage.
4. You Are Such a Kind Friend
Relationships mean a lot to us all, and that value starts to develop at a very young age. By encouraging your child to be proud of who they are as a friend when they do something thoughtful, chances are they will continue to seek out ways they can be considerate of their friends.
5. I’m Always Inspired by How Creative You Are
Kids are forever brimming with novel ways of seeing and interacting with their worlds. The idea of creativity isn’t even necessarily something they really think about as a concept, it’s just something that they do naturally. By overtly acquainting them with their creativity, hopefully it will be a reminder that they can hone it down the line if their creative juices aren’t flowing as organically as they’re used to.
6. You Did It!
This is a tried and true affirmation—just like we like to know we did something on our own, so do our children. Reminding them that they are able to accomplish tasks on their own will build their confidence and make them more likely to try things on their own in the future.
7. It’s OK to Make Mistakes
Sometimes kids (like adults) can develop a complex over making mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable for everyone, but what kids really need to know is that mistakes can be invaluable tools in our growth and learning process. They need an environment where it’s safe to mess up in order to continue to learn.
Source: @shapinup
8. Practice Makes You Better
The credit goes to my husband on this one. When our oldest started really developing his interest in sports, he always heard a chorus of “practice makes perfect!” from well-meaning relatives and friends. We realized pretty quickly that this wasn’t the mantra we wanted to surround him with. Perfection is a terrible thing to chase, and everyone can’t be good at everything. But, if you practice something you love and improve even a little, well, that’s worth celebrating.
9. You Are Important
Our kids are growing up in an era where it’s easy to feel unimportant—if you’re a regular person amidst all of the reality TV and social media stars, it’s easy to feel lost. As they grow, they’ll need to continually hear that they are important in order to remember it’s so.
10. You Are Surrounded by Love
Besides telling your child you love them, if you’d like to infuse more love-related affirmations for kids into their life, this is a great one. Not only does it mean they are surrounded by people who love them, but you can extend it to being loved by other creatures (ex. the birds when we feed them, a dog or cat when it lets us pet it, etc.) if it feels appropriate, too. You can take it even further and see if you can simply “feel” the love that’s in the air together.
11. You Get Better Every Single Day
Obviously this isn’t to say that your child isn’t already the best! However, this is to encourage them to remember that we are all works in progress, learning how to improve on how great we already are in a myriad of ways. You can point out how they’re getting better each day at all kinds of their daily undertakings, whether it’s at school, at home, in their relationships, in an extracurricular, etc.
12. You Always Have a Home in My Heart
Reminding your child that they’re never alone can make all the difference in offering them a steady sense of belonging. While a roof over their head is one thing, making them feel like they are always held close to you is extra special and comforting.
13. I Believe in You/I Know You Can Do It
To squash fear and worry, especially in children who are anxious, a reassuring boost of encouragement can go a long way when it comes to affirmations for kids.
14. I Love the Way You Did That
Kids certainly come up with interesting ways to solve their own problems. And, even if you would have maybe done something differently, their creative thinking definitely deserves a cheer.
15. You Tried So Hard
The outcome rarely matters as much as the effort put in, but it’s easy for kids to rely on the final product to measure their successes and failures. Acknowledging their efforts will help them feel good about their process.
16. You Make Me Happy
Even parents have bad days and children sometimes internalize bad moods or overwhelming frustration as their fault. This simple affirmation on this long list of affirmations for kids is a daily must.
17. You’re the Best Listener
Since surely we’ve all been guilty of half-listening, reserve this one for when you’ve truly noticed your kiddo has given special attention to what they’re hearing! Close listening can be challenging to cultivate consistently as we grow up, especially with so much competing for our attention. The more we can praise it in a child when we observe it, the higher the likelihood they’ll see it as a quality to be proud of and continue expressing.
18. You Can Create Whatever You Put Your Mind To
A great affirmation for championing your child to push beyond the boundaries of how they’re used to thinking about or approaching something.
19. You Are So Great at Following Your Heart
While we all want to raise kids with strong minds, raising them with mighty hearts is equally paramount. You may have to teach your child what it means to “follow their heart”—their feelings, their intuitiosns, etc.—first, once they’re aware of it, this affirmation will support them as they try to fulfill it.
20. You’re the Best Gift I’ve Ever Received
We all know most kids are gift-obsessed. Let’s try to remind them more often that the best gifts in our lives are the intangible ones, and that they are absolutely one of them!
21. You Know How to Be So Patient
Rather than simply stating “you are so patient,” by including the “you know” in front, it presents your child with the suggestion that being patient is an ability that is always available to them. So, if you ever notice they’re making an effort to demonstrate their willingness to calmly wait for what’s coming, point their inherent ability out!
22. You Are Full of Light
While this one’s a bit more on the metaphysical side of things, it can be a lovely chance to share what it means to be optimistic, positive, loving, and energetic. Even if it’s somewhat abstract, kids certainly recognize the difference between a bright, sunny, and cheerful day versus a dreary, overcast, and gloomy-looking one. We can remind them that the sun is always shining light in us somewhere, even if clouds pass over us sometimes.
23. That’s a Great Question
Kids have a lot of questions. They want to know how every little thing works and why everything is the way it is. Answering questions endlessly can certainly get a bit draining, but all of those questions stem from genuine curiosity and a deep interest in the things around them.
24. I Love You
This one goes without saying, but sometimes in the rush of the day, it’s one that gets forgotten.
25. Even When We Don’t Agree, I Always Love You
Arguments and frustration are a part of a parent/child relationship, but those things don’t affect the love that you have for your child. Telling them so is important, especially for young children who often take frustration personally.
26. You Are a Leader
It’s so easy to get caught up in the world of following these days—it’s even built into the way we use social media! So before your kiddo can get too caught up trying to emulate what everybody else is doing, here’s a simple affirmation to strengthen their instincts towards leadership.
27. Your Challenges Make You Grow
When your child is confronted with something intimidating, this is a sturdy affirmation they can lean on to bravely take it on. I can also help them learn to think about the bigger picture—how a challenge can be good for them overall, even if it doesn’t feel that way in the moment.
28. You Make a Difference
Telling your child that their presence matters goes a long way in boosting their self-esteem. You likely have lots of examples you can point to where life wouldn’t be the same without their presence.
29. You Are a Good Person
No matter what mistakes any of us make, we have to remember that while we might not be proud of them, they are actions and not who we are at our core. This affirmation can help suggest to your child starting from an early age that their essence is pure goodness, independent of their positive and challenging behaviors.
30. You Are So Fun
What kid doesn’t want to feel like they know how to have fun, and that they make fun company? While kids are always looking for something fun to do, this can be an upbeat reminder that they are the fun!
31. You Are So Brave
Cheering your child on to power through situations that scare them or make them uncomfortable reminds them of what they’re actually capable of. We can’t always come to their rescue as they grow; by remembering to tell them how brave they are, this belief will begin to live inside of them so that when they’re facing something fearful on their own, they’ll be ready for it.
32. Stay Curious
Curiosity is the foundation of a lot of great skills, like critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. Kids are naturally curious, and encouraging that trait in them sets them up to be independent thinkers in adulthood. Using affirmations for kids like this one is a great daily reminder of just that.
