Family Matters

Gentle Reminders (final)

1. Every time I look in the mirror, I say something good to the person I see in it.
2. Every day, I ask myself, "What can I do today to make this day a wonderful day?" and try to achieve it.
3. Everything I need in order to succeed is here around me. I only need to see it.
4. I have the courage to stand up for my beliefs.



5. I do not take risks that can be too dangerous and hurt myself or others.
   

   Tips

   • Living life involves taking risks. Make sure your kids do not think that risks are bad. Explain that every new thing you try involves the risk of not succeeding, but that should not stop anyone from trying anyway.
   • Talk to your kids about the pros and cons of everything they consider. It is a good strategy to have.
   • Explain to your kids that people are not fortune tellers. We never know what the outcome of our actions will be for sure, but we should still follow our dreams.
   • Explain to your kids about risks that cannot be reversed, like using drugs or getting into dangerous situations with no safety measures. Those should definitely be strong enough in their mind to stop them getting hurt.
6. I am unique and special. There is no one else like me in the entire world. I do not have to wear certain clothes, behave a certain way or do anything in particular to be unique. If I am myself and that is my uniqueness.

Affirmation starters

If you want to know the thought or feeling your kids want to have and would like to motivate them through positive affirmations, encourage them to complete the relevant sentences from the list below.

You may find they cannot come up with a positive statement. This is a good opportunity for you to pay more attention to that statement, encourage them to find positive alternatives or talk to them about that particular area.

As always, do this activity yourself first to discover the messages you may be sending to your kids.

• My childhood was
• A good memory from my childhood is
• The best gift I was given was
• In the past, I used to
• Family for me is
• What I really want is
• I dream that one day I will
• Life will be better when
• The thing that really frightens me is
• I am very special when
• The things I am willing to do to feel good are
• I want people to remember me like
• I believe that one day I will
• My favorite color is
• My greatest strength is
• I want to believe that
• I hope that one day I will
• My favorite song is
• I am focused when
• When I feel happy, I
• My favorite food is
• My best skill is
• My most valuable possession is
• If I die, the thing I would like people to know about me is
• The thing that makes me smile is
• One thing I must do before I die is
• I want to choose friends that make me feel
• I want to choose jobs that make me feel
• The thing that really makes me happy is
• I want my life to be
• What I love about myself is
• I cry out of joy when
• I choose to feel good about myself because
• I'm happy when
• Forgiving is
• When I read something, I
• I always
• It's OK to
• I feel like
• Friends are
• I like it when
• Money is
• I appreciate myself for
• I love myself because
• I trust myself to

Summary

1. Gentle reminders are an easy way to motivate your kids without being considered a nagger
2. Gentle reminders can be used when your kids do not give you permission to help them
3. Gentle reminders need to be positive and be created for the kids and not for the parents
4. Quotes are good gentle reminders
5. Gentle reminders instill self-motivating seeds in your kids' mind
6. Use affirmations to promote self-motivating ideas in your kids' behavior

Inspired parenting,
Ronit

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