[LisaB]

The other day, some friends and I watched The Help. I loved the part in the opening scenes where the housekeeper has the little girl repeat "I is good, I is smart, I is important". Ever since then, I've been saying something along those lines to my daughters before they go to bed each night. They LOVE it, their eyes light up each time, and they add things to the mix (Lucy added she's brave, strong, and never gives up)

What personal touches do you incorporate in your bedtime routine, or any other time?

[Erin80]

After I read the book, I started doing the same thing with Lexy every night. I love it. Every night I tell her "you're a good girl, you're a smart girl, you're a beautiful girl".

[Twhylite21]

We usually just talk about the highlights of the day. I let Lily tell me everything she did that she liked, and what she didn't like, etc.

[Effervescence]

We talk about the highlights of the day after dinner, kind of a re-cap to Daddy to tell him what we did. I try to encourage Jonah to think of something he really liked, but he usually doesn't talk much.

Every night before bed, I tell the kids something each of them did that made me proud of them that day. I just bought some heart boxes from Target (in the dollar section) and let them paint their own box. I'm going to use it as a "Positive Affirmation Box" And put a little paper with something on it about them that makes me smile or makes me proud- either something about their character, or a story from the day etc. The plan is to let them check their boxes each evening and then we can read them together.

I looked up some things about the author of The Help shortly after I watched the movie, and the nanny who had raised her had said those words to her many times a day. She said that nanny is who inspired her to write the book.