The Law of Attraction For Kids

The Law of Attraction has never been a "secret." For anyone that can read a book, the concepts involved in positive thought and manifestation have been available for centuries. Children, however, have to rely on their parents to be taught the secrets of a fulfilling life. Usually by example, they learn how to attract the wrong things into their lives. With a little creativity, one can impart to a child the not-so-secret Law of Attraction.

Self confidence is the cornerstone of the Law of Attraction for children. If children have confidence in themselves there is just about nothing that can stop them from manifesting what they want. That deep-down, gut feeling; that "I can do anything," attitude, is the very basis of what comes next.

Next, the child needs to have confidence in God, the Universe, whatever concept of a Higher Power you have chosen to instill. The child needs to know that there is a power that can be trusted. From time to time point out the many things that have been provided to your family, as an example.

Historically, many children's books have illustrated the need for self-confidence and a sense of optimism in one's life. The Little Engine That Could, with its "I-think-I-can" chant is a good example of the type of lessons one can impart to a child to build self-esteem and banish self-doubt.

Goal-setting is fun for kids. In fact, deciding which goal to manifest first will probably be the hardest part for them. Winsome Coutts and Jessi Hoffman, authors of the children's book, Go For Your Goals - Goal Setting and Visualization for Kids, suggest defining the concept of manifestation to a child as "making wishes come true." The wishes are the child's goals.Have the child make a list . . and no parental editing allowed! These are your child's goals, not yours. Once the goals are clear, it's time to set about making them real.

Words have power. We have all felt the pain or disappointment brought about by poorly-chosen words. Words can have the opposite effect as well. In fact, the right words - empowering, goal-directed statements, can build self-esteem and a sense of optimism. If a child has confidence, affirmations are much more effective. Anyone who has practiced the Law of Attraction knows how difficult it is to keep doubt from creeping in. For an optimistic child, however, "I am getting better and better at math," won't turn into "ah, come on, you suck, you can't even add, etc."

Teaching a child to affirm is easy. With his or her favorite goal in mind, create a sentence affirming it as having already occurred. Louise Hay, author of the book Power Thoughts, suggests that a child repeat his or her affirmation in front of a mirror.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "You become what you think about all day long." Just like words, thoughts have power. You get more of what you focus on, so focus on what you want, not what you don't want. Visualization is simply the art of focusing on what you want.

To a child, it's a bit like daydreaming. The difference is that manifesting through visualization is daydreaming with a purpose. During this process the child chooses the goal that means the most to him or her. Focusing on the goal, the child should be encouraged to visualize it as being already attained.

To help keep the focus where it should be help the child create a Treasure Map. Go through magazines and catalogs and cut out photos and words describing the child's goal. Then paste them on a poster board. Keep the Treasure Map where the child is sure to see it during the day - the bathroom wall is a good place, or in his or her bedroom, or add it to the collection on the refrigerator. Encourage the child to see the goal, the dream, as already accomplished, and to feel all the feelings associated with this accomplishment.

This is the most important step of all, and probably the most difficult for the teacher. Children have a hard time with gratitude. They seem to have an innate sense of entitlement. How many times do you have to remind your child to say thank you? Sometimes if feels like a never-ending battle. For most parents, teaching a child to say "thanks" is teaching the child "good manners." What they forget is the underlying feeling that is the reason for the thanks. Gratitude. Being thankful, sincerely, for something done or given.

Robert Emmons, a professor at the University of California at Davis, actually studies and teaches the psychology of gratitude. His "Research Project on Gratitude and Thankfulness" found that people who kept what he calls "gratitude lists" made more progress toward important personal goals than those who didn't. Most significantly for the Law of Attraction, he found that grateful people have more positive emotions, general satisfaction with their lives, and optimism. You can read more about his research at http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/labs/emmons/.

There are many ways to teach a child gratitude:

1. Point out all the things in the child's life that he or she can feel grateful for. . .even the intangibles like the love of parents, etc.
   
2. Make a point to find at least one thing a day that your child does and express your gratitude.
   
3. Establish a daily routine, maybe at dinner, maybe at bedtime, where you can ask the question: "What are you grateful for today?"
   
4. Don't just admonish your child to say thank-your or send thank-you notes. Talk about the reason that they should be expressing thanks. It's not just words.
   

Teach the child to be grateful for all the good that is currently in his or her life and all that is to come.