The Power of Words: A Mother’s Journey with Affirmations
When my son was little, mornings often began with a quiet storm. The world felt too loud, too bright, too unpredictable. Shoes didn’t fit right, the bus came too soon, and his heart carried the weight of being different.
One morning, as tears welled in his eyes, I knelt beside him and whispered:
“You are strong. You are safe. You are loved.”
At first, he looked at me with confusion. Words had always been tricky sometimes slippery, sometimes overwhelming. But I repeated them gently, like a song. Day after day, those words became part of our rhythm.
How Affirmations Became Anchors
- A Safe Script: For a child with ASD, affirmations offered predictability. He knew what to expect, and that steadiness calmed him.
- A Mirror of Strength: Saying “I can try again” after a meltdown helped him see resilience reflected back at him.
- A Bridge to Connection: Affirmations weren’t just words; they were shared moments. They reminded him and me that we were in this together.
Small Rituals, Big Impact
We wrote affirmations on colorful cards and taped them to the fridge. He chose one each morning, sometimes giggling at the silliness of “I am a puzzle master!” Other times, he clutched “I am brave” like a shield before school.
At bedtime, affirmations became lullabies. “I am safe. I am loved. I am enough.” The words wrapped around him like a blanket, softening the edges of the day.
What I Learned Along the Way
Affirmations didn’t erase challenges. They didn’t make the world quieter or easier. But they gave my son tools words he could hold onto when everything else felt uncertain.
And perhaps most importantly, they reminded me as a parent that my voice mattered. That the way I spoke to him could shape the way he spoke to himself.
A Few Affirmations to Try
- “I am proud of who I am.”
- “I can learn new things every day.”
- “My uniqueness makes me special.”
- “I am loved exactly as I am.”
Affirmations are not magic spells they are seeds. With patience and repetition, they grow into confidence, resilience, and self-love. For children with ASD, they can be the gentle reminder that their voice, their presence, and their uniqueness are gifts to the world.
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