Self-love means treating yourself with kindness and respect. Although it may seem obvious, self-love doesn’t always happen naturally. It’s beneficial for children (and adults!) to be taught how to love and care for themselves. In fact, self-love supports kids’ physical and mental health. When we teach kids about self-love, they grow to be confident and empathetic individuals!
3 Ways to Teach Kids About Self-Love
1. Morning affirmations
Affirmations are phrases or statements to say out loud. They help our brains shift away from negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. It may seem too good to be true, but the more we say positive affirmations out loud, the more we begin to believe them!
You can help your child get in the habit of saying positive affirmations every single morning during their bathroom routine. After brushing their teeth, encourage your kiddo to look at themselves in the mirror and repeat these affirmations.
P.S. morning affirmations work for caregivers, too!
Morning affirmations for kids:
I am brave.
I am important.
I learn from my mistakes.
I am proud of myself.
I can do hard things.
I am beautiful and strong.
I am a good friend.
I am loved.
Morning affirmations for caregivers:
I am doing my best, and that is enough.
I am a loving parent.
I do what is best for my child and family.
I deserve rest and love.
I am patient and resilient
I am loved.
2. Supportive songs
Music is a great tool for teaching kids important messages about self-love. Children love singing along to catchy tunes… and when those tunes have positive messages in them, kids soak them up!
Pay attention to the lyrics of the songs that you listen to with your kiddos. A lot of songs for kids teach important life skills. It can be beneficial to play a self-love song each morning to start the day off with a positive message.
Snoop Dogg released a new affirmation song for kids called “Believe in Yourself.” It’s a great song to sing and dance to, plus the affirmations for kids are really thoughtful!
3. Positive self-talk
Self-talk is the inner voice inside of us. It’s normal for kids and grown-ups to experience disappointment or anxiety, which is when that inner voice sounds negative or scared.
To help kids navigate these thoughts, you can offer positive self-talk alternatives when you hear your child speak negatively about themselves.
Listen for negative phrases like, “I can’t” or “I never” and help your child reframe them. For example, if they say “I can’t do anything right” after dropping a plate of food, you can have them reframe it by saying, “Oops! Sometimes I drop things if I’m distracted. I’ll practice being more careful next time.”
Positive self-talk teaches children that they can’t always control what happens to them, but they can control how they react and respond!
Life Skills and Lingokids
Interested in learning more about how the Lingokids app helps teach kids about life skills such as self-love? Download the Lingokids app and check out more content on our YouTube channels.
How do you teach your child about self-love? Let us know by tagging us on social media!
