“Daily affirmations can be powerful,” Hensley
says. “These don’t have to be major things either. A
five-year-old might say she’s grateful for the
cupcake she got at school for a classmate’s birthday
celebration because it made her happy. The purpose
is to teach this kind of thinking and help it become
a more natural part of everyday life.”
Create a vision board.
Imagine what you and your family would like to
accomplish in the year ahead. Make either a family
vision board or individual ones. Grab a stack of old
magazines, scissors, glue, and poster board. Cut out
inspiring words, quotes and pictures.
Ask each other questions like: “What are our
dreams for the coming year?” “What do we want to
see happen in our lives?” “What would an ideal
vacation look like?”
Set intentions.
Alongside your
daily to-do list, make a
“to-be” list. Every morning
set your intention. Ask yourself
“who am I willing to be today?” Kind?
Loving? Generous? Enthusiastic?
“An intention is a laser focus for our
energy. When we claim who we are willing
to be, we can be that,” McClellan says.
Encourage quiet time.
Quiet, unplugged time helps nurture
creative thinking, problem solving and
stress reduction.
As a family, gear down before
bedtime. Read together, draw or watch
a show. This time together helps kids to
decompress and gives them space to
express worries, concerns or stories from
the day.
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Weigh the positive and negative.
If your child is troubled by a situation at school or
at home, encourage him to write down a positive
thought about it on a card. On the opposite side,
have him write the negative thought.
“Then, you can discuss with your child each side,
how each makes him or her feel, and what the
consequences of each side might be,” Hensley says.
“Remind children that it’s OK to have negative
thoughts and feelings. We just don’t want them to
rule our lives.”
Play together.
Experts agree that families who play together tend
to be happier and more deeply connected.
Whether you throw the football, compete
in a game of cards, dance to funky music
in your living room, or make up games on
a car ride, play will strengthen your
relationship with each other.
Experiment with what
works for your family. “All
of these types of activities
and rituals are very
important because they’re
modeling a positive
attitude, building a healthy
way of thinking and interacting with
the world, and helping children
understand the link between thoughts,
feelings and behaviors,” Hensley says.