About Rebecca Eckler
Since becoming pregnant with her daughter Rowan, Canadian journalist and author Rebecca Eckler has penned three hilarious books, including the best-selling Knocked Up. Catch Rebecca’s weekly unique perspective on motherhood and single parenthood.
Three Positive Things
eckler plus one: self-help concepts for kids canada
(Sep.20.11)
I read my first self help book EVER. Called You Can Create An Exceptional Life, by Louise Hay and Cheryl Richardson, it was sent to me by a publicist and as I started flipping through it, I had numerous thoughts.
Was I really going to ‘thank’ my bed, for giving me a good night sleep every night? Was I really going to ‘thank” my car every time I got into it, and say to myself: “This is going to be a nice drive. Thank you car for getting me there.” Was I really going to look into the mirror, every time I passed one, and say, “I love you Rebecca?” Maybe. But I became kind of addicted to the positive affirmations in the book, in the way I wondered that if I started my days with a “this is going to be a GREAT day,” would it eventually work? Would I really have great days?
Months ago, I read something in a newspaper about depression and one of the suggestions was, every night, to tell yourself three positive things that happened to you that day. They could be big or small, but they had to be positive. At first I was like, “Three? I can’t come up with three great things a day!” But, actually, I learned I could. I would say things like: “It’s great that I had a yummy dessert. It’s great that l’m lying here with my daughter. It’s great that I started a new book that seems promising.”
It became easy to think of three positive things that happened each day. And, so, I started doing this with my daughter. Every night we’ll lie in bed together and I’ll ask her to tell me three fun things about her day. And she’ll be like: “Gym class. I got to use a saw to make a picture frame. And I get to lie here with you.” Also, by doing this, I learn what makes her happy during the day. So now I’m wondering if self-help books for adults, or at least some of what they preach, can be applied to children. Should I make my daughter look into the mirror, as the book suggests, and say, “I love you?” Maybe I will. I mean, I do want her to love herself.
Yesterday morning, as I drove her to school, thinking about You Can Create An Exceptional Life, I said to my daughter: “This is going to be a GREAT day!’ My daughter kind of looked at me like I was crazy, and said, “why?” And I responded with: “Because it’s better than having a bad day, right?” She laughed. And then this morning, as I drove her to school, I said again, “This is going to be a GREAT day,” and my daughter said, “Yes. It IS going to be a great day!”
So, yes, I think self-help concepts can be applied to children. But, really, do I want her to look in every mirror she passes and watch her tell herself, “I love you Rowan?”
Do you believe the concepts of self-help and positive affirmations should be taught to young ones? Share!
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