120 Words of Encouragement for Kids to Boost Self -Esteem

Words can inspire and words can destroy. Words can plant a garden or destroy a forest. These quotes by famous personalities need careful reflection by us, parents. Parents and teachers words of encouragement for kids can bring a smile on their face and contentment and a feeling of confidence in their heart. Positive words of encouragement can nurture a child’s emotional and mental wellbeing who will grow up to be a more contented, happy and successful individual.

“Start your child’s day with love and encouragement and end the day the same way.”
— Zig Ziglar

In our daily interaction with our kids, we may be affecting them in ways we never imagined. Kids get easily conditioned to the words they hear about themselves and their behaviour is sure to reflect it. Many times we are at a loss of words to show our appreciation to our kids.

Here is a list of encouraging words and phrases for kids in different situations

Words of encouragement for kids to make them feel loved

1. You are the best thing that happened to me ever.

2. You are my sunshine.

3. You are God’s gift to me.

4. You are amazing.

5. You are loved.

6. You are the Apple of my eye.

7. It’s fun to be with you.

8. I look forward to spending time with you.

9. You mean the world to me. 

10. You make me proud.

11. You are a gem.

12. I love you.

13. You are special to me.

 

Positive words for kids when they feel lonely

14. I will always stand by you.

15. You can tell me what’s going on in your mind.

16. I understand how it feels to be lonely.

17. I am happy to have you in my life.

18. I can be your best friend.

19. You can trust me.

20. I believe in you.

21. I like to be with you.

22. I am listening.

Words of encouragement for kids in challenging/difficult times

23. This tough time shall pass.

24. Tough times never last but tough people do.

25. We will get through this together.

26. You are trying your best.

27. You can overcome this.

28. I believe you will be able to do this.

29. You are so Brave.

30. I like the way you keep on trying.

31. You will do it.

32. You can ask for help. 

33. Challenges will make you stronger. 

Words of encouragement for kids to promote creativity

34. That’s so creative of you.

35. Great idea.

36. You are a risk-taker.

37. Great to see you trying new things. 

38. You are improving.

39. You are almost getting there.

40. I think you will crack it.

41. You did it all by yourself! 

42. Your commitment is amazing!

43. You are a go-getter!

44. You did a lot of work today.

45. Wow! You are gifted!

46. It’s OK to make a mistake just keep trying.

47. Follow your dreams. 

48. Trust yourself and your instincts. 

49. You can do it.

50. Success is not far away.

51. Hard work always pays.

52. You may not win it but you will learn something out of it.

53. Practice makes a man perfect.

54. I am waiting to see the final result.

55. The fact that you are trying, shows your interest and commitment.

56. Wow! You did it!

57. That was very smart of you.

58. I’m so glad that you enjoy learning new things.

59. Your questions are so thoughtful.

Positive phrases for kids when they face a loss (death of a loved one or pet or favourite possession)

60. I can understand how you are feeling.

61. You are going to be brave and face this situation.

62. It is normal to feel sad and upset.

63. I am with you on this.

64. Don’t be afraid.

65. It is ok to cry and let your feelings show.

66. Boy’s can cry too.

67. You can talk to me about how you are feeling right now.

68. Do you want a hug from me?

69. Let us pray together.

70. You cannot stop things from happening sometimes.

71. Some things are out of our control. It is not your mistake.

72. You are going to be OK.

Affirmative words to say to kids to show gratitude

73. Thank you for your help.

74. Your timely help saved my time.

75. I am grateful to you for this.

76. I am so lucky to have you.

77. You have been so kind to ________. Good job!

78. You have a big heart.

79. Thank you for your generosity.

80. I am glad you shared your toys with your brother/sister/friend.

81. I can never thank you enough for this kind gesture.

82. I am in awe of your respectful behaviour.

83. Thank you for being my helper.

84. I could finish my work easily because of your help.

Positive words to boost self-esteem and assertiveness in kids

85. You can say a NO if you don’t like him/her to touch you.

86. Don’t let anyone bully you. You can speak up for yourself.

87. Your ideas matter.

88. Your feelings matter.

89. Would you like to discuss this further?

90. Do you have anything to add to the discussion?

91. What is your opinion on this?

92. Do it only if you really want to.

93. This idea of yours is worth trying.

94. I like it when you put your opinion so clearly.

95. You sound firm on this.

96. I am glad you are sticking to your stance.

97. Your choice is worth appreciating.

98. I am glad you made an informed choice.

99. I am happy about your thoughtful decision.

Words of encouragement for kids taking a test

100. Just try your best and everything will be all right.

101. Don’t give up until you finish what you start.

102. Participation and efforts are more important than winning.

103. I am sure you will do well, given your hard work.

104. If you feel stressed, take a break, count to ten and start again.

105. Think before you act.

106. Keep moving steadily and you will reach your goal.

107. Learn from your mistakes.

108. I know you will not give up.

109. You have always conquered your fears and anxiety.

Words of encouragement for kids in sports

110. You have worked hard for this. You will do well.

111. Just go for it with all your might.

112. Compete with yourself.

113. It’s going to be tough to beat you as you never give up.

114. Whether you win or lose, you will still be the same in my eyes.

115.  Give it your best shot.

116.  It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.

117.  Don’t give up until you finish the task.

118.  Believe in yourself.

119.  Aim above the mark to get to the mark.

120. Have faith in your abilities.

Benefits of using words of encouragement for kids

• Helps to promote the feeling of acceptance and belongingness in the family.
• Promotes creativity and curiosity.
• Develops a feeling of trust and confidence in themselves.
• Boosts self-esteem and self-love which is very important for emotional and mental health.
• Generates interest in understanding their surroundings.
• Instils the values of gratitude, perseverance and efforts.
• Motivates them to offer help in household chores, helping out with younger siblings, caring for pets etc.
• Gives a feeling of safety and security.
• Helps to develop a positive attitude towards life.
• Enhances emotional intelligence and determination to accomplish tasks.
• Encourages children to work harder for their goals.

 

How to use positive words effectively for kids?

Positive words definitely have a major impact on the child and the parent-child relationship. Too much praise can be counter-productive. So the timing, ways and reasons for using these phrases should be given a thought.

1. Don’t overdo it

You wouldn’t want your child to be so confident about his success that he gives up the hard work, right? Avoid using positive phrases for every small thing that the child does. If overdone, the praises will lose their essence and the child may find praise words too mechanical.

2. Look into their eyes

Children are smart. If you say words of praise casually and while being involved in your own work or looking into your smartphone, they may not believe you. The best way would be to sit down at their level, look into their eyes and say the words. Your child will love your attention and trust your words easily.

3. Say it when you mean it

The face is a mirror and it can mirror our emotions too. If you say to your child “Wow! You have done an amazing job.” and you don’t really feel it was an amazing job, it will clearly reflect on your face. Rather you can say” That was a good try. You are improving. I am looking forward to more.”, it would sound more real.

4. Get the message right

When you encourage your child, encourage his/her efforts, hard work and motivate him/her to keep up the good work. Only giving out praises about their looks, success, achievements will overshadow the importance of hard work and perseverance. So instead of praising them only for achievements, motivate them to work harder and be persistent in their efforts. After all, efforts lead to success.

5. Hugs can mean praises and appreciation too

Only words cannot fulfil the need for children to be loved. They love to be close to you, to be held and hugged every day. Positive words are one of the many needs of children including quality time, involvement, physical presence etc. So keep up the good work you have been doing as a parent.

6. Take their name

Name is a personal identity. Say your child name when you use affirmations as doing this adds to the focus and weight of the words. For instance, rather than saying ” I love you”, try saying “I love you, (your child’s name)”. It will make the words sound more personal and real.

7. Make it a routine

Make it a routine to discuss the good behaviour, discipline displayed by kids in a day before bedtime. Talk to them about how you felt when they helped you, did their task on time etc. This routine will bring consistency and children will look forward to hearing those good words from you, motivating them to put in more efforts. You may also discuss it during the family mealtimes.

8. Get creative with using the words

Try writing the words on a piece of paper and putting it on your child’s lunchbox (Get our free printable lunch box love notes here)or hiding it in their favourite storybook. Putting up sticky notes, writing on boards or recording the words and sending them audio would be a great idea too. How about recording a video saying how grateful you are or happy you are with their stints? Children love surprises. So get your ideas rolling.

Conclusion

Positive parenting is the key to raise confident and happy kids. So do try these phrases with your kids and let us know what worked for you. Do share the idea of positive parenting by sharing this post. As I always say, we are together on this parenting journey. Do let me know which words are you going to start using today? Looking forward to hearing your favourite phrases which make your kids happy.