Encouraging Your Children

Tuesday, January 3, 2023 by Catherine Gilliland | Support Through Rough Patches

There is a Proverb stating that a merry heart does good like a medicine. My experience testifies to the truth of that Proverb. When I am grumpy, the words that spill forth from my lips are anything but encouraging to my family (much less to myself). When I speak words that boost another's heart, the atmosphere in my home is pleasant.

It is difficult to craft statements that are cheerful when I am not feeling cheerful. It is precisely for those situations that previously written statements designed to communicate encouragement and good feelings come in handy. Speaking these life-giving words to my child results in me becoming gladdened, too. Sometimes we must just do the right thing, and the feelings usually follow. 

To get you started drafting your own list of uplifting statements for your children, consider the following assertions which are all designed to affirm and communicate admiration and encouragement to your precious kiddos.

• Thank you for helping with...

• It makes mornings/dinner/outings easier when you.... thank you.

• I really appreciate it when you...

• Thank you for doing that... it means I/we can now...

• We did it together!

• Wow! You made a building/drawing/etc. 

• You did it on your own! 

• You did X and then Y and worked it out! 

• I like the way you used lots of red paint/blocks/tape/etc.

• You made it really big/small/colorful/complicated/etc. That took you a long time, and you did it! How did you do that?

• You did X , what will you do now?

• Can you tell me about it? What is your favorite part? What led you to think of that?

• I really enjoy doing X with you.

• I love watching you create/help your sister/play soccer/etc. 

• I'm so proud to be your mom, every day, no matter what!

• Look how happy your friend is when you share/help/smile/etc.

• You kept going, even when it was hard. You look so pleased to have done that! 

• You made X feel so pleased when you did that. 

• I see that it makes you feel good when you do X. 

• Say nothing, just smile with a 100-watt smile.