Magical Bracelets

Do you know what self-esteem is?

Self-esteem is what we think of ourselves. We have a good self-esteem if we think, for instance, that we are doing things well, that we can be proud. It's a bit like what I explained to you with the inner treasure box: we all have qualities that are precious. But sometimes we forget our qualities, so we don't feel very good. We are sad, or there are things we don't dare to do because we are afraid of not doing them well, or we are afraid of making mistakes, or of not succeeding.

At school, our teacher talked about it and she came up with a great idea: self-esteem bracelets.

Each week, we choose a bracelet with a short sentence that makes us feel good. We talk about it with one another, we explain why we chose this specific bracelet. We can even invent new sentences. Thanks to this, I get to know my classmates better, and we all feel proud and happy about these little compliments that we share.

Here are some examples of our positive sentences:

"I work better when I am focused"

"I help you practice to improve your soccer skills"

"I love math"

"I know how to comfort a friend when they are sad"

"I know when to say thank you"

So I'm going to tell you how to make this craft. Ask a grown-up to help you. You can also talk to your teacher about doing this in class.

Take a sheet of colored paper and draw lines on it about every 3 cm (1.2 in).

Write the sentence of your choice on each strip.

Ideally, laminate the sheet.

Cut along the lines.

Make a hole at each end of the strip to slide a rubber band through, and tie a knot on each side to secure the band.

And that's it! Your bracelets are ready :)

Many thanks to a wonderful lower grades teacher who shared this beautiful idea! And thanks also to her young students who participated so beautifully.