3 Easy Ways To Make Your Kids Smile and Build Their Self Esteem

Are you Struggling to know how to encourage your littles, mama?

I get it. It’s hard. We are grinding through the dishes -meltdown - diaper changes -park- meal prep-sleep- work- childcare prep - laundry…. cycle on repeat. Finding ways to speak love and light into your kids some days is hard and it can feel like there is so little of us left to give in playful and light moments. Here are few ideas to try:

1) Make up a silly song about what you love about them. Include their nose and toes and other silly rhymes and they will love it. Sing it in the car even if you don’t feel you have a good voice. They won’t notice or care. Just sing it anyway.

And if you need a good starting place, Mama Nous is such a delightful, playful and soulful songwriter for kids. She is a beautiful guide. I love playing her music for my kids - and I can’t help but sing along myself. It’s healing, beautiful music for the heart.

2) Whisper: Did you know… how wonderful you are? Did you know… how smart you are!? Did you know mama thinks you are sooooooo wonderful! Did you know… mama thinks you are so special! My kids will say yes the first time and then sometimes shake their head no, making it a game. “Oh you didn’t know?! Oh my. You are SOOO special!”

3)Write them notes, even if they can’t read them. Leave them in their room while they are sleeping. They will LOVE this. You can snuggle up and read them in the morning.

Even though it’s a grind some days (or most, let’s be honest), this is good for our endorphin and dopamine levels too. Get creative, give a snuggle, pause the chore and have a small moment of connection. That sounds easy, I know. It can feel out of reach to have even the capacity to think about these things. Start small, mama. I see you. One small moment will snowball into more.