20 Powerful And Motivating Affirmations for Mothers
Positive mom affirmations to take on mom life with happiness, positivity, and success
Be careful with the words you choose when talking to your children.
We all know what we say to our children and how we say it influences how they act and behave, how well they listen, and the way they speak to others.
That's why we try to handle tantrums with compassion and understanding. That's why we allow all emotions with validation. And that's why we use words of encouragement when they face failure.
But how did you speak to yourself lately?
Do you offer yourself the same compassion, understanding, and validation with your own words?
Maybe you are a single mom and doubt that you do it (seriously, all hail to single mothers out there).
Maybe you are a working mom, and you are afflicted with mom guilt.
Maybe you are a stay-at-home mom and wonder if this is all to life?
And maybe you are a new mom, and you think you don't know anything about parenting.
I guess, depending on how our days as moms are going, we have these thoughts more or less frequently. And it's a normal thing. Because motherhood is a lot to take on.
But the question is, really, how often do we talk nicely to ourselves? It is unrealistic to completely shut out disruptive thoughts and force us to constantly be happy, grateful, and smiling.
What if we could turn all this negative self talk into positive self talk? What if we can transform a negative thought into a positive thought?
I mean, we want to embrace all feelings, good or bad, just like we do with our kids. But we want to embrace them in a way that makes us feel good again. That we can forgive ourselves and continue the day without constantly worrying about what we said or what we did or did not do.
The Power of Affirmations
You may have heard of affirmations. But what are they?
An affirmation is a positive statement that you repeatedly say out loud to overcome negative thinking and self-sabotaging. Thereby, you state them to be the truth and create a new positive mindset about your life. They are supposed to motivate and encourage you to be the person you want to be and reach the goals you set for yourself.
But do positive affirmations really work? Can spoken words be that powerful?
Research shows that negative thoughts are way more dominant than positive thoughts. And spoken words are more powerful than thoughts. Your mind is what it hears. That is why saying your affirmations out loud is important. Your brain needs to hear them so it can rewire new positive connections.
So affirmations are just what we need as mothers. Self-doubt, the turmoil of emotions, being stressed-out and overwhelmed. Is there a better and free way to uplift our mood and self-esteem?
How to Practice Affirmations for Mothers
Affirmations are personal. Learn what your triggers are, which actions lead to a spiral of negative emotions. Figure out your goals. Then you can create your own positive affirmation.
When you say affirmations avoid using terms like "I want" or "I will". Use the present tense. Because what you are saying is already the truth. Personally, I also like to address failures and negative emotions but in combination with positive words. For example, "It is ok to make mistakes. I am learning and growing." Negative experiences are part of life, and I have learned that dealing with them is better than ignoring them. Affirmations are a way to overcome difficulties and hurdles.
You can write them down in a journal or on affirmation cards and say them aloud in front of a mirror. It may feel weird at first, but you will notice how powerful it becomes to motivate you for once and not others.
I like to say my daily affirmations before I go to bed. Studies show that going to bed with gratitude and positive thoughts reduces anxiety and help you sleep better.
Affirmations for Mothers
I have gathered a list of my favorite affirmations for mothers. I hope that you will use some of them and that they will help you feel better about yourself as a person, as a mother, and about motherhood overall.
1. Parents are different. I am the best parent to MY children, and I know what they need.
We will often compare ourselves with other parents. But here are two truths.
1.) You cannot know how someone parents by just observing moments here and there. You will never know what is really going on in any family. Social media is a perfect example. So forget about other parents and focus on yourself.
2.) You are the best parent to your child. What works for other families doesn't necessarily need to work for your family. You know what's best for your family.
2. It is ok to make mistakes, and I will continue to learn.
There is no such thing as a perfect mother. It is a good thing to strive for improvement, but it's necessary to accept mistakes and continue with life instead of obsessing about what we did wrong. Forgive yourself. If we want to teach our children that it is ok to make mistakes, then we need to learn that, too.
3. I am learning and growing together with my child.
No one is born a mother. Until I had children, I had not once changed a diaper. And I even let my mother change my newborn's diaper the first few times because I was so scared. Just as our children are figuring out this life thing, we are figuring out motherhood.
4. My children are allowed to be the way they are.
Good and bad. Shy and social. There is always a word to describe our children. How about just letting them be the way they are? I would consider myself a little bit of an introvert. I like to stay at home with my family. I would rather be at a dinner with only very few people than a big party. And yet, at times, I expected my kid to be super social. Doesn't make any sense, right? Today, I love that she would rather play with 1-2 children than 10. And that's totally ok. Our children have the right to be the way they want to be. And embracing their unique traits will help us better cope and respect them.
5. I am allowed to set boundaries for myself.
You want to be a good mother and often put your needs last. But you are allowed to have healthy boundaries and take care of yourself and your mental health.
6. It's ok to have bad days.
I always like to say that a great day and a bad day often come hand in hand. One day you think you have it figured all out, the other day is just full of tantrums and tears. Remind yourself that it's ok to have bad days because PARENTING IS HARD. Close the chapter before going to bed. Tomorrow will be different.
7. I am proud of myself and everything I achieved.
"Just" stayed home with the kids today? I think you and I know very well how much work that means. Be proud of all the amazing things you have achieved to this day.
8. My child trusts me, and I trust my child.
You are your child's safe place and their trust person to go to when they are scared, sad, or happy. In the same way, you can trust your child's abilities.
9. I will meet today's obstacle with patience and calmness.
This is one of the hard things for me. I would definitely be lying if I said I was always calm and patient with my kids or my husband. But I keep practicing every day. And I have gotten far better. Saying this every day helps me a lot to improve my patience. I also say it when I notice something inside me is boiling up.
10. The time I invest in my children today will help them be great in the future.
Kids not listening today? Positive parenting not working? Remind yourself that every effort you are giving today WILL have an effect on your child's mental health and personality, even if you don't see it right now. This is my favorite daily affirmation.
11. I trust my parenting abilities, and I don't take my child's behavior personally.
Caught your kid telling a lie? They say they don't like you anymore because you didn't allow something? Sometimes it is not easy to take it personally. But learn to separate your child's behavior from your parenting. They don't aim at attacking you personally. They are still learning to handle negative emotions.
12. I accept my past mistakes and continue learning.
Be acceptive of the mistakes you made in the past. Everyone will make mistakes in life. But it makes no sense to continue dwelling in what has been. Continue learning to improve.
13. I love my family just the way it is.
Every family is unique and perfect in its way. Don't compare your family to other families but embrace the things that work for you.
14. I deserve time for myself.
Time-outs are a necessity for all mothers. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Make sure to make time for yourself to recharge. It is well deserved.
15. I am overcoming my doubts and trust my mom instinct.
Self-doubt will be huge when you are a new mom. But over time, you are learning, and you will instinctively know what to do. Learn to trust your instincts and your parenting abilities.
16. My feelings and emotions are valid.
"Don't be so sensitive." Ever got your emotions turned down? I did for sure. Learn with whom it's best to share emotions and when to process them by yourself. Any emotion you have is valid.
17. I am letting go of things I cannot change.
Focus on the things in life you can control instead of events you cannot. For example, you cannot control someone's behavior, but you can control the way you react. Holding on to things we cannot change causes you senseless stress and anxiety without getting anywhere.
18. I am doing enough. I don't need to do it all.
Do you sometimes have the feeling that you are not doing enough with your children? Or you just couldn't get yourself to cook dinner today? Who cares. Like really, who cares? This is a perfectionist type of thinking, and it's not helpful. Don't you think if you had the time, the physical strength, and mental capability to cook that dinner, you would have? Of course! So let go! You are already doing enough and sacrificing a lot. Remember that.
19. I am grateful for my family.
Gratitude is a key ingredient for happiness. And, of course, we are grateful for our family. But saying it aloud will help you realize how lucky you are every day.
20. I am meeting the needs of all my children.
If you have more than one child, you will always feel as if one of them has to cut back. Less one-on-one time, more waiting. But you are never ignoring one child's need. At the end of the day, you know that you did your best to meet all your children's needs, and that is more than enough.
Affirmations are a powerful way to motivate you and break the pattern of negative thinking. Keep practicing it every day, and you will see amazing things happen.