75 Phrases and Words of Encouragement for Kids of All Ages

As parents, we all want to help build our children's self-esteem and find words and phrases that motivate, encourage and inspire our children to reach their full potential. These encouraging phrases and inspirational quotes are sure to have a positive impact on your child's confidence, resilience and overall mood.

More: 10 positive parenting phrases for toddlers

Forward-looking words of encouragement:

• Your only limit is your imagination.
• Make the most of the time you have. Nobody will ever be like you.
• You are capable of so many things.
• Pursue your dreams instead of running away from your fears.
• Your actions can change the world.
• Don't forget to have fun while driving.
• You are connected to one family, one community, one world. Use your power wisely.
• "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." -EE Cummings
• Make your dreams big; you will grow into them.

Words of encouragement to foster perseverance and a growth mindset:

• Mistakes make your brain grow.
• Keep an eye on the price.
• Don't give up and start what you finish.
• "A person who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." --Albert Einstein
• Be positively patient and persistent.
• When it rains, look for rainbows. When it's dark, look for stars.
• "Just keep swimming." - Dory
• Hard times never last. Tough people do.
• "Most of the really exciting things we do in our lives scare us to death. They wouldn't be exciting if they didn't." --Roald Dahl
• Take a break and come back to it.
• You have so much room to grow as long as you don't give up.
• "Everyone you admire was once a beginner." - Jack Metzger
• Nobody is perfect, that's why pencils have erasers.
• If Plan A doesn't work out, the alphabet has 25 more letters.
• “Failure is not falling; it doesn't get up again.” – Mary Pickford

Phrases promoting compassion and kindness:

• "The time is always right to do the right thing." -Martin Luther King Jr.
• If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours
• You will never regret being a good friend.
• The strongest souls have the softest hearts.
• "Try to be a rainbow in someone else's cloud." -Maya Angelou
• Find joy in the joy of others.
• "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." -Aesop
• Be the one who makes others feel like they belong.
• “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” -Dalai Lama
• Throw kindness around like confetti.
• Your compassion for others is wonderful.

Positive words to highlight your child's personal strengths:

• "You are braver than you believe, and stronger than you think, and smarter than you think." - Christopher Robin
• The only person you should try to be better than who you were yesterday.
• "Listen to the inner voice and obey it bravely." --Ralph Waldo Emerson
• You were born to be real, not perfect.
• "She was powerful, not because she wasn't afraid, but because she was so strong despite the fear." -Atticus
• Never trust your fears; they don't know your strength.
• I like your unique sense of style.
• "It is easy to stand in a crowd, but it takes courage to stand alone." -Mahatma Gandhi

Positivity to turn a bad day around:

• This feeling will go away.
• You've already overcome 100 percent of your bad days.
• It's ok not to be ok. Just know that you are not alone.
• “Courage is not having the strength to go on; it goes on if you don't have the strength.” --Theodore Roosevelt
• You wouldn't know what a good day was if you didn't have a few bad ones.
• Everyone is afraid sometimes.
• Grow through what you're going through.
• We get do overs.
• what you feel is normal
• Everyone has things to work on.
• Not all days are bad.
• Pause and focus on your breathing.
• "You can't stop people from saying bad things about you. All you can do is turn them into liars.” –Thomas Sowell
• The end of something is the beginning of something else.
• Think of one thing that made you smile today.

Messages to set the tone for the day:

• It's a good day to have a good day.
• “Look up at the stars and not at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder what makes up the universe. Be curious." – Stephen Hawking
• Let your light shine today.
• Focus on what gives you energy, not what sucks it away.
• Do things for fun or to learn, not for attention.
• "You've got brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction.” -DR. seuss

Simple loving words to boost your child's self-esteem

• I'm proud of you.
• I love spending time with you.
• My world is better with you in it.
• I hear.
• You can talk to me about anything.
• You're not like everyone else and that makes me happy.
• There is nothing you could do that would make me stop loving you.
• I love the way your mind works.
• You have a good heart.
• I believe in you.
• I believe you.

Your child's self-esteem can be built not only through positive parenting and words of encouragement, but also by teaching children positive affirmations. Here are 10 positive affirmations for kids + how to use them.

By: 75 Phrases and Words of Encouragement for Kids of All Ages