Parent Magazine St. Johns January 2019 | Page 16

“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. 14 | S T . J O H N S parent MAGAZINE 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.