Every day before school, I say to my daughter, "Have a great day at school. Be respectful, thoughtful and kind. Learn a lot. Accept all challenges. But, most importantly, have fun!" This daily routine makes us both smile. In addition, it gives us talking points at the end of each school day. (If you are looking for a way to speak with your child about his/her day at school, this might be a helpful strategy!) Recently, we were given a chance to be a part of a wonderful dad & daughter affirmation video for The Scene, we had to say yes. So, Camilla and I worked on affirmations for the project. It was such a fun activity. Listening to my daughter share what is most important to her was fascinating. I was so proud of her sense of self and how much more mature she is compared to me at that age. We decided on this list to share with the producers of the project.
I am fearless.
I am respectful.
I am kind.
I am a student.
I am athlete.
I am a lion. (ROAR!)
I accept challenges.
I am generous.
I am a good classmate.
I stick up for myself and friends.
I am courageous
I am creative
I love my hair.
I love life.
I am happy.
I am fun.
I am loved.
I am me.
And me is who I want to be.
And now here's the finished product. Check it out and share this inspirational video! Thanks to the producers at The Scene for including us!
UPDATE: The video has gone viral and at last count was closing in on 18 million views and has been featured by sites such as The Huffington Post, BET, Paper Magazine, Parents.com, Cosmopolitan, USA Today, Bustle, Mashable, and The Bump, who interviewed me about the project. Deepak Chopra, Laila Ali, The Girl Scouts, Ashley Judd, and Judd Apatow have all shared the video. (Not sure if Judd Hirsch or Judd Nelson did as well.) Unreal, but we so needed a feel good moment.