Creating positive affirmations and shifting negative thinking patterns can be a powerful tool for kids to build self-confidence and cultivate a positive mindset. Cat Kozuch is here to share some tips to help them get started. Learn more at https://believeabuddy.com
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00:00 They are cute, they are cuddly, but can they change the outlook of a child?
00:07 Our guest, Kat Kizuch, thinks that they can.
00:10 And that's why she's created Believe a Buddy Bears, designed to help kids create positive
00:15 affirmations.
00:16 Welcome, we're so glad you're here.
00:19 What gave you the idea to create these bears?
00:21 Well, I was 19 years old and I was paralyzed in a really bad accident and told I'd never
00:25 walk again.
00:26 So I wrote on my hospital whiteboard, "Kat will walk out of here, duh."
00:31 And I repeated this affirmation over and over.
00:33 And about four weeks later, I still couldn't feel anything from the chest down.
00:37 So I started yelling at my toe, "Big toe move, big toe move, big toe move."
00:41 And it moved just the tiniest bit.
00:43 So I just knew from that moment on I was going to walk again.
00:45 So I kept practicing yelling at my toes.
00:47 And then finally my left leg comes back first, then my right leg comes back for a second.
00:52 And then I ended up walking out of the hospital.
00:54 So my dad during this time was traveling for work.
00:57 So he brought me a new teddy bear every time he visited me.
00:59 So I blended the idea of an affirmation and a teddy bear and Believe a Buddy was born.
01:04 That's beautiful.
01:05 She yelled at her toes and her toes listened.
01:08 It sounds funny, but the mind is very, very powerful.
01:11 And that's why you created Winston.
01:13 Yes, this bear is designed to help kids believe in themselves.
01:17 So every day you grab the deck of cards, you get your child.
01:21 And I want to show this because look how cute this deck is.
01:23 It comes in a little zipper pouch that's shaped like a heart.
01:27 I don't know if you can get a little shot of that.
01:30 There you go.
01:31 And inside this is a deck of cards and each one has an affirmation.
01:34 So I'm going to pull one.
01:36 Do I take one from the top?
01:37 Yes, take it from the top.
01:39 Oh my gosh!
01:40 I am a great listener.
01:43 You know, Kat, this is ironic because I am the worst interrupter I've ever met.
01:47 I'm always interrupting people.
01:48 I can't stop.
01:49 So this is going to help you.
01:50 This is going to help you with your listening skills.
01:52 So what you're going to do is you're going to take that card and you're going to stick
01:55 it in the belly of your bear.
01:57 Look at how cute this is.
01:58 So that's the card you pulled this morning.
02:00 So we're going to put that on top of it.
02:01 I can cover the, oh that's so easy.
02:04 A kid can do it.
02:05 And now look, I am a great listener.
02:08 Yes, and now you can repeat that affirmation all day, share it with your friends, take
02:12 it to school, whatever you want to do with it.
02:14 What are some of the other affirmations that Winston can give kids?
02:17 So there's I am powerful.
02:18 I am loved.
02:19 I am safe.
02:21 I am supported.
02:23 There's so many.
02:24 There's 52.
02:25 52, one for every week of the year, but I suggest doing it every single morning and
02:32 your kids are going to get used to it and it's going to help empower them and help them
02:36 believe in themselves.
02:37 Well, I asked you when you first came in, you were setting up all your bears.
02:40 Do these have electronics?
02:41 Because I thought when I read about affirmations that they must think you press a button and
02:46 it says I believe, but no, these are analog bears.
02:49 No.
02:50 I honestly did not want electronics in this bear because I wanted this bear to bring a
02:54 piece of mindfulness to a child's day and I didn't want something yelling at somebody
02:59 and it's just nice to have something peaceful in the house.
03:02 It's nice, soft and cuddly.
03:03 You can sleep with it and there's no electronics on the inside.
03:06 And I would think you could customize your own card if you trace over this shape, if
03:11 there's something specific you wanted to say to yourself.
03:14 Yes, you can write out your affirmations, stick them on the refrigerator.
03:18 In the future we'll have some things coming where you can customize your affirmations
03:21 for the bear, but until then the kids can write it out on a piece of paper.
03:25 Nice.
03:26 Now are these available at hospitals?
03:28 They're not available at hospitals yet, but we are partnering with Phoenix Children's
03:32 Hospital so we're going to do a donation there and the Giving Goodness Foundation is going
03:36 to donate bears to kids that have been abused.
03:40 So we're going to do a lot of partnerships like that to help boost those kids' self-esteem
03:44 and help them believe in themselves again.
03:46 I love that.
03:47 And you also say that this bear helps with mindfulness.
03:50 Yes.
03:51 So part of the process with the bear is you give it a big hug when you get started.
03:56 It's going to add some comfort to your day.
03:58 And then you close your eyes and you take a deep breath.
04:03 And then you pull the card.
04:04 So it adds a moment of peace to the morning before it gets crazy, before you drop your
04:09 kids off at school.
04:10 And you could also do the same thing at nighttime before bed.
04:13 There's something about just hugging the bear.
04:15 It's like a somatic healing if you buy into that sort of thing.
04:19 And I do.
04:20 Yeah.
04:21 Do you have some tips to help kids with these affirmations?
04:25 So with these affirmations, I suggest repeating them at least three times and then just keep
04:30 repeating them throughout the day.
04:31 If you know that your child has a test coming up, maybe you pick a card and it says, "I
04:36 am capable," and have your child repeat that so it boosts their confidence before they
04:41 take the test.
04:42 Maybe it's their first day of school.
04:44 Have them pull a card.
04:45 "I am powerful."
04:46 And get them thinking that they are so powerful that they can do anything when they get to
04:51 school.
04:52 And even if your kids think it's silly and they're laughing through it, they're still
04:54 saying it.
04:55 Oh, they're still saying that.
04:56 And they'll remember it the next day.
04:57 And I've had a little kid, he was making fun of the process and the next day he's like,
05:01 "Mommy, I have to pull my card today."
05:03 And they get used to it and they want this to be a part of their routine.
05:07 And it's a really healthy way to get your kid being very mindful about their whole life.
05:11 And they're going to carry this throughout their whole entire life.
05:14 And imagine the next generation of kids being so strong and so powerful with social media
05:19 and comparison.
05:20 This is going to help them get through those really tough times.
05:23 Kat, thank you so much and thanks for sharing your story.
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