Affirmations for the Inner Child

In order to end this cycle of suffering, we must embrace our inner child at whatever age and stage it shows itself to us.

As a child, I believed that I was responsible for the unhappiness of my parents. I thought I needed to live up to their idea of a model child. I spent my days searching for something I could do to make their lives better.

We learn to treat ourselves the way we were treated. Because I grew up with constant negation, I learned to treat myself abusively. There was no room for error in my home.

If we were raised with parents who were addictively or compulsively ill, we determine that life is threatening and chaotic—that we are not deserving of joy. These are the crucial decisions that impact our lives long after we have forgotten them.

I felt lost as a child in my dysfunctional family. I felt adult pressures that mutilated my inner child. There was no room for my needs or perspective. There was no room to be a child. Today there is room in my life for both the child self and the adult self.

Now I know that when I feel tempted to lose myself in a relationship, my inner child is yearning for the parental approval she never received. I am her source of validation, not anyone else.

My curiosity was not okay, for I was constantly reproached, “Get your hands off that! Keep your hands to yourself!” Soon I learned to look but not touch. I learned my lesson well. Now as an adult, I keep the world at an arm’s distance. I observe rather than engage in life. My reticence about reaching out has kept me disconnected from myself, my env

Today I will let go of my need for others to live up to my ideals. I do not have the right to impose my expectations on anyone else.

Today if I feel hurt or angry, I will talk about my feelings instead of just blowing up. I am responsible for my own happiness and peace of mind.