Early mental health intervention is important to prevent more serious disorders later in life. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 13 percent of children between the ages of 8 and 15 exhibit some signs of mental illness. While positive affirmations cannot cure a physiological disorder in a child's brain, they can help boost self-esteem and confidence to help children overcome psychological challenges during development.
Writing
Putting thoughts into writing often helps children clarify their ideas and find ways to overcome negative thinking and fear. According to the Oregon Family Support Network, it can be difficult to see the positive side of a situation when the pain seems overwhelming. To prevent depression, children should write about their negative thoughts and feelings in a list. Each bad thought should be countered with the opposite positive thought.
Your child should create affirmations from the positive list. For example, if she is having trouble socially at school, she may think that no one likes her and she'll always be alone. Next to that entry, she should write about a specific friend with whom she plays with. Then, she should create an affirmation such as "I am friendly and outgoing and people like me. I am going to have a full social life as I grow up."
Encouragement
Parents, teachers and caregivers play an important role in the emotional development of children, according to the Mayo Clinic. Parents can help children develop a healthy self-image by using positive statements and affirmations when teaching and guiding youngsters. In sports, encouragement is more effective to motivate children than denigrating them and pointing out their mistakes.
Children encouraged to eat healthy foods for their positive benefits eventually develop healthy eating habits, while children who are told they will get fat if they eat bad foods tend to gravitate towards more unhealthy choices. Children who are told they are good are more inclined to fulfill those messages just as children who are consistently told they are bad lean towards fulfilling the negative messages.
Training
According to Texas Child Care, the role of discipline and education is not to control children, but to teach them how to control their own behavior and thinking. Once children learn that they have power over their emotions and actions, they can accept responsibility for the consequences they receive and choose to change disruptive behavior and negative thinking. Positive affirmations help mold children's view of themselves and their abilities.
Giving children back their power through affirmations such as "I can control myself," and "I am a good student," achieves both social cooperation and child empowerment. The positive self-talk taught to youngsters also translates into habits that remain useful all through adulthood.
