Raising Confident Kids: Easy Ways to Bring Affirmations Into Family Life

Kids pick up the way we talk to ourselves. If we sigh and say "I'm so bad at this," they hear it. If we say "I'm still learning," they hear that too.

One of my neighbours was one of my very first Kickstarter supporters. Since we live so close, it was easy to check in and see how she and her son were using the colouring books and the affirmation cards. They even helped me perfect the samples!

One thing I hear a lot is how great it is to have something to come back to. When her son plays soccer, he thinks about the page in the colouring book with the little girl who keeps going, stays focused and is open to making mistakes. On school mornings, he pulls an affirmation card and makes it his focus for the day. At the end of the day, they check back in to see how that affirmation worked out.

The good news? Building confidence at home can be fun, quick and woven into the things you already do.

1. Make affirmations part of the morning rush

Keep the Building Blocks Kids Affirmation Card Deck by the front door or the breakfast table. Each morning, your child pulls a card and reads it out loud (or you read it together). Ten seconds, and they head out the door with a kind thought in their pocket.

Shop the Building Blocks Kids Affirmation Card Deck

The Parent & Educator Guidebook has more ideas for using the cards at home and in the classroom.

2. Colour your feelings

Big feelings are easier to talk about when your hands are busy. The My Feelings Matter! Colouring Book pairs colouring pages with affirmations and activities that help kids name what they feel. For animal lovers, there's the Animal Kingdom Edition and a travel-friendly Bite-Sized version.

Shop the My Feelings Matter! Colouring Book

3. Give teens their own words

Teens often roll their eyes at anything that feels like a lesson. Leave the I Am Enough Affirmation Cards somewhere they'll find them on their own, like their desk or bathroom counter, and let them decide what to do with them.

4. Share one good thing at dinner

Go around the table and share one thing you're grateful for. Jot the answers on our Gratitude But Make It Cute Notepad and stick them on the fridge. By Friday, you have a whole week of good things on display. Curious why this works? Read Why Gratitude Journals Work.

5. Celebrate effort with stickers

The Kids Building Blocks Sticker Sheet turns a tough homework night or a brave first attempt into something worth celebrating.

Here's an affirmation to share with your kids

I am brave, I am kind and I am learning every day. My feelings matter and my voice matters too.

Start small

Pick one idea this week and see how it lands. Little rituals, repeated often, become the voice your kids carry with them.

How do you build confidence with the kids in your life? Share your ideas in the comments!

About the author

Cheryl Sutherland is a confidence coach, keynote speaker, and the founder of PleaseNotes. She helps women own their worth through workshops, keynotes, and personal growth tools that make confidence something you can practise every day. Her work has been featured in Forbes, InStyle, HuffPost, Fast Company, and Thrive Global, and she's partnered with organizations like WestJet, Intuit, CBC, and Dress for Success. Want Cheryl to speak with your team? Visit CherylSutherland.com.