Celebrate Incredible Kid Day

We all know words are powerful, and kind ones go an especially long way to helping us see our value and worth. Everyone likes to be told how special and important they are – including our kids and teens. How often has it been since you wrote a note to the kids in your life just to say how you feel about them?

Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® was established in 1997 by Camp Fire, a multicultural youth development organization. It’s now celebrated by millions of people every year on the third Thursday in March. This unofficial holiday was designed to encourage caring adults, parents, and guardians to write letters to the young people in their lives – acknowledging and rewarding the child’s achievements while offering encouragement or inspiration.

When you participate in this important initiative, you create notes that may be made of pen and ink (or text or email or a message delivered inside their favorite social media platform) but are sure to be among the most prized gifts your child, neighbor, niece, nephew, or grandchild will ever receive. Research shows that encouraging words can raise a young person’s self-esteem and even help them become more responsible.

Not sure where to start? Here are some prompts to get the wheels turning:

1. Take some time thinking about the child. What do they love doing? What makes them special
2. Communicate specifics. Use humor or anecdotes and be descriptive. This could be sentences like “One of my favorite things about you is…” or “I really like it when you…”
3. Make a list of the words, phrases, and adjectives that come to your mind. Are they funny? Helpful? Kind? Creative? Maybe they “just keep trying even when they’re overwhelmed.”
4. Recount specific fun or meaningful memories you’ve shared. Share your personal experience and observations of the event and tell them why you enjoyed the time, or what you learned from them. “When we did the ropes course together, I felt so nervous, but watching you do it so bravely made me feel confident, too.”
5. If you feel inspired by the words of someone else, share a poem or quote that means something special to you.
6. Think of something you’ve meant to thank or praise them for – then share it. “It really means a lot to me when you help prep dinner. You’ve gotten so good at chopping vegetables like a pro.”
7. Tell them why they matter. Even kids can make a difference in the world.
8. How do they impress you? “You work so hard. I’m impressed by how passionate you are about…”

Feel like you need a few more ideas or prompts? Check out the official website for sample letters, unique approaches, and ways to think outside the box and make a big impact on your kid.