There are a few kid movies that seem to be on replay in our house. Moana, for one, and, in a close second: Trolls. Thankfully, both have phenomenal soundtracks, so I don’t mind it much when Little Miss constantly belts out “How Far I’ll Go” or “Get Back Up Again.”
In fact, I absolutely love the lessons in both the movies, and that includes the lessons in the songs, too… especially since Little Miss has reached a phase in her threenager-hood that involves a lot of “I can’t do it mama.”
I can’t.
I hate that phrase.
Especially since there was a time when Little Miss felt like she could do anything, even if it took her a hundred tries. (Heck, I even wrote a blog about it!) But at 3 years old, she’s starting to develop a sense that she “can’t” do certain things. Giving up, it appears, seems to be the easier course of action, whether it be putting her clothes on in the morning or opening her yogurt. She’s definitely of the age that she’s learning that she can do things… but sometimes things are still pretty darn hard (like wiping her own butt).
But in a larger sense… I don’t want her to think she “can’t.” I don’t want her default to be that when the going gets hard that she “can’t” do something.
So when she belts out “Get Back Up Again” from the Trolls movie? I love it… especially this part:
“Hey!
I’m n
ot giving up today
There’s nothing getting in my way
And if you knock knock me over
I will get back up again
If something goes a little wrong
Well you can go ahead and bring it on
‘Cause if you knock knock me over, I will get back up again.”
After all, I’m all about affirmations in this house, and this part of the song is one big affirmation that you CAN do anything… even when the going gets tough, even when things get hard. So when Little Miss is struggling with something and she veers toward the “I can’t” attitude, I’ll sometimes break out in song to remind her, “I will get back up again.”
It helps (sometimes… because, you know, threenager).
As I try helping Little Miss take the words “I can’t” out of her vocabulary, I’ve been trying to take the phrase out of my own as well. After all, the more we say “can’t,” the more we shut off the door to what is possible… and when we realize we can do something? Especially after trying, and trying, and trying some more? It’s so much more empowering.
***
Don’t want to miss a blog post? Be sure to subscribe to Oops & Daisies here!
