Affirmations from me to you

There's something about having the kind of friends in your life that make you feel good. They are there for the laughs, the tears, the joy, and the shared experiences. You can trust them and know that they will have your back. Me and my friends often say how much we love spending time together and that we love being friends, and those kind of affirmations feed my spirit like no other! These people have chosen me and want me around.

I genuinely adore my job and love that I get to spend time being playful, creative, and musical with the children I work with. It is therefore absolutely natural and essential for me to tell the children how much I enjoy spending time with them. They are my friends in that space, we help and support each other, and by modelling good friendship, they will develop the skills to be a good friend to others.

For one, it takes no effort on my part and lets them know that I am there, not just because of my job, but that I enjoy their company. I hope that the effect is for them to begin trusting me, boosting their self-esteem and confidence, and building strong social connections. I want them to know that they can make mistakes with me and I will always be here with a smile for them, reducing their anxiety and stress. I also hope that they feel they belong, that they can relax and make friends with the rest of the group.

Relating to the PERMA+4 wellbeing model of flourishing and work-related performance, with the lowering of physiological stress and development of resilience, the children will be better able to thrive both inside and outside of the classroom. There's nothing quite like working with children and seeing them develop socially and independently, beginning to show their personalities and become more relaxed in their play.

I recently began working with a young boy who I could tell, immediately, had his walls up. He didn't speak or participate in any of the activities or conversations that were happening. He had a look like thunder and, even though the room was full of musical instruments at their disposal, and the rest of the children absolutely went wild for them, he kept to the side and barely touched anything.

The second week I was full of cold but, determined not to miss the session with them, I went in. One of the other boys asked why I was there if I was so poorly and I said that I didn't want to miss spending time with them as I had had so much fun the week before. My boy with the wall peeked over! I held the door open for them as we walked to class and he gave me a thumbs up! HUUUUUUUUUGE WIN!! During that session he noticed me playing the xylophone and quietly joined me. He still had the serious look on his face but WOW! I think I might have made a new friend!

Donaldson, S. I., van Zyl, L. E., & Donaldson, S. I. (2022). PERMA+4: A Framework for Work-Related Wellbeing, Performance and Positive Organizational Psychology 2.0. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.817244