11 encouraging phrases to tell your kids on the first day of school

11. "Be yourself." ❤️

The first day of school is full of change—summer is over and waking up early is the new norm, for starters. But starting the school year during a pandemic is a whole new level of transition. Whether your children are starting the school year doing remote learning, homeschooling, in-person instruction or some hybrid mix, kids need your support more than ever before. It's important that the positive phrases you say to your children become their inner voice.

Kids need to understand four simple things on the first day of school:

That you are proud of them, and your love is unconditional
Success is in their control
School is a way to learn new things and make new friends
At the end of the day, they get to be with their family

Here are 11 encouraging phrases to say to your child on their first day of school:

1. "You're capable of anything you set your mind to."

It sounds cliché, but every child needs to hear this not only on the first day of school but throughout the school year. Saying these words are the first step to teaching your kids about perseverance and work ethic. It's an important affirmation that puts them into the mindset of working towards success.

2. "You don't have to be the best at everything; you just need to try your best."

Children are not perfect. Chances are your child will struggle at some point with a task, a concept or a subject while at school. In those moments it will be helpful for them to know that they don't have to be the best at everything, but they must try their hardest. Saying these words will also keep your child from feeling self-conscious when others do well. There is no need for comparison, just do your best.

3. "It's about the journey, not just the destination.

Some children—especially those in their teenage years, with college in the foreseeable future—will overwhelm themselves. They stress about the future and while being concerned and driven about your future is a good thing, we must teach our children to cherish the journey as well.

4. "Treat others how you want to be treated."

For some children, especially those who are only children, it may be a jarring experience to share the attention of an adult with an entire cohort of students. Teaching your kids to treat others the way they like to be treated will help them put themselves in the shoes of others and avoid lashing out over lack of attention or being mean to someone else because of peer pressure.

5. "Don't let your peers' actions affect how you feel about yourself."

At some point, your child will be on the receiving end of negative comments or behavior. In these instances, it will be helpful for them to know that the actions of a bully say more about the bully than the target.

6. "Every mistake is a lesson."

Children will forget to study, will forget a homework assignment, they will oversleep or feel moody. It is always important to teach kids that mistakes are lessons that inform us on how to act later on. It also helps them convert disappointment into a positive.

7. "I believe in you and I support you."

Children need to know their parents have their back. This is essential to a child's self-esteem and confidence to perform well in school and in their social circles.

8. "Magic happens outside of your comfort zone."

In life, you don't grow by sticking to the same habit and routine; therefore, it's important for children to perform at their peak by stepping outside their comfort zone. Help them rise to the occasion by being comfortable with discomfort.

9. "I'm going to drop you off, then you'll meet your teacher, and have lunch…"

On the first day of school, children may have zero or very few expectations, so walk them through it to make them feel at ease. Tell them you're going to drop them, what they'll do when they get there, how they'll have playtime, lunchtime and recess time.

10. "I can't wait to hear about your day."

This is especially useful if your child is having a hard time saying goodbye. Before they leave, give them something to look forward to after school by offering an activity or a snack to help them get through the day.

11. "Be yourself."

One of the important phrases a parent can say to their kid on their first day of school is to be themselves. Give your child the confidence to be who they are regardless of what other kids say.

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8 breastfeeding and pumping supplies you need for your lifestyle

Round out your pumping arsenal, mama

By its very nature, motherhood requires some lifestyle adjustments: Instead of staying up late with friends, you get up early for snuggles with your baby. Instead of spontaneous date nights with your honey, you take afternoon family strolls with your little love. Instead of running out of the house with just your keys and phone, you only leave with a fully loaded diaper bag.

For breastfeeding or pumping mamas, there is an additional layer of consideration around when, how and how much your baby will eat. Thankfully, when it comes to effective solutions for nursing or bottle-feeding your baby, Dr. Brown's puts the considerations of mamas and their babies first with products that help with every step of the process—from comfortably adjusting to nursing your newborn to introducing a bottle to efficiently pumping.

With countless hours spent breastfeeding, pumping and bottle-feeding, the editors at Motherly know the secret to success is having dependable supplies that can help you feed your baby in a way that matches lifestyle.

Here are 9 breastfeeding and pumping products to help you no matter what the day holds.

Customflow™ Double Electric Breast Pump

For efficient, productive pumping sessions, a double electric breast pump will help you get the job done as quickly as possible. Quiet for nighttime pumping sessions and compact for bringing along to work, this double pump puts you in control with fully adjustable settings.

$159.99

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Hands-Free Pumping Bra

Especially in the early days, feeding your baby can feel like a pretty consuming task. A hands-free pumping bra will help you reclaim some of your precious time while pumping—and all mamas will know just how valuable more time can be!

$29.99

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Manual Breast Pump with SoftShape™ Silicone Shield

If you live a life that sometimes takes you away from electrical outlets (that's most of us!), then you'll absolutely want a manual breast pump in your arsenal. With two pumping modes to promote efficient milk expression and a comfort-fitted shield, a manual pump is simply the most convenient pump to take along and use. Although it may not get as much glory as an electric pump, we really appreciate how quick and easy this manual pump is to use—and how liberating it is not to stress about finding a power supply.

$29.99

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Nipple Shields and Sterilization Case

There is a bit of a learning curve to breastfeeding—for both mamas and babies. Thankfully, even if there are some physical challenges (like inverted nipples or a baby's tongue tie) or nursing doesn't click right away, silicone nipple shields can be a huge help. With a convenient carry case that can be sterilized in the microwave, you don't have to worry about germs or bacteria either. 🙌

$9.99

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Silicone One-Piece Breast Pump

When you are feeding your baby on one breast, the other can still experience milk letdown—which means it's a golden opportunity to save some additional milk. With a silent, hands-free silicone pump, you can easily collect milk while nursing.

$14.99

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Breast to Bottle Pump & Store Feeding Set

After a lifetime of nursing from the breast, introducing a bottle can be a bit of a strange experience for babies. Dr. Brown's Options+™ and slow flow bottle nipples were designed with this in mind to make the introduction to bottles smooth and pleasant for parents and babies. As a set that seamlessly works together from pumping to storing milk to bottle feeding, you don't have to stress about having everything you need to keep your baby fed and happy either.

$24.99

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Washable Breast Pads

Mamas' bodies are amazingly made to help breast milk flow when it's in demand—but occasionally also at other times. Especially as your supply is establishing or your breasts are fuller as the length between feeding sessions increase, it's helpful to use washable nursing pads to prevent breast milk from leaking through your bra.

$8.99

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Breast Milk Storage Bags

The essential for mamas who do any pumping, breast milk storage bags allow you to easily and safely seal expressed milk in the refrigerator or freezer. Dr. Brown's™ Breast Milk Storage Bags take it even further with extra thick walls that block out scents from other food items and feature an ultra secure lock to prevent leaking.

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Watch one mama's review of the new Dr. Brown's breastfeeding line here:

This article was sponsored by Dr. Brown's. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Motherly and mamas.

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This is the one thing that reminds me I’m all my children need

I am enough.

I never wanted to be a mom. It wasn't something I ever thought would happen until I fell madly in love with my husband—who knew very well he wanted children. While he was a natural at entertaining our nephews or our friends' kids, I would awkwardly try to interact with them, not really knowing what to say or do.

Our first pregnancy was a surprise, a much-wanted one but also a unicorn, "first try" kind of pregnancy. As my belly grew bigger, so did my insecurities. How do you even mom when you never saw motherhood in your future? I focused all my uncertainties on coming up with a plan for the delivery of my baby—which proved to be a terrible idea when my dreamed-of unmedicated vaginal birth turned into an emergency C-section. I couldn't even start motherhood the way I wanted, I thought. And that feeling happened again when I couldn't breastfeed and instead had to pump and bottle-feed. And once more, when all the stress from things not going my way turned into debilitating postpartum anxiety that left me not really enjoying my brand new baby.

As my baby grew, slowly so did my confidence that I could do this. When he would tumble to the ground while learning how to walk and only my hugs could calm him, I felt invincible. But on the nights he wouldn't sleep—whether because he was going through a regression, a leap, a teeth eruption or just a full moon—I would break down in tears to my husband telling him that he was a better parent than me.

Then I found out I was pregnant again, and that this time it was twins. I panicked. I really cannot do two babies at the same time. I kept repeating that to myself (and to my poor husband) at every single appointment we had because I was just terrified. He, of course, thought I could absolutely do it, and he got me through a very hard pregnancy.

When the twins were born at full term and just as big as singleton babies, I still felt inadequate, despite the monumental effort I had made to grow these healthy babies and go through a repeat C-section to make sure they were both okay. I still felt my skin crawl when they cried and thought, What if I can't calm them down? I still turned to my husband for diaper changes because I wasn't a good enough mom for twins.

My husband reminded me (and still does) that I am exactly what my babies need. That I am enough. A phrase that has now become my mantra, both in motherhood and beyond, because as my husband likes to say, I'm the queen of selling myself short on everything.

So when my babies start crying, I tell myself that I am enough to calm them down.

When my toddler has a tantrum, I remind myself that I am enough to get through to him.

When I go out with the three kids by myself and start sweating about everything that could go wrong (poop explosions times three), I remind myself that I am enough to handle it all, even with a little humor.

And then one day I found this bracelet. Initially, I thought how cheesy it'd be to wear a reminder like this on my wrist, but I bought it anyway because something about it was calling my name. I'm so glad I did because since day one I haven't stopped wearing it.

Every time I look down, there it is, shining back at me. I am enough.

I Am Enough bracelet

May this Oath Bracelet be your reminder that you are perfect just the way you are. That you are enough for your children, you are enough for your friends & family, you are enough for everything that you do. You are enough, mama <3

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We independently select and share the products we love—and may receive a commission if you choose to buy. You've got this.

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What you need to know about President Trump's Supreme Court pick

The President has reportedly selected his third SCOTUS nominee.

President Donald Trump has chosen his third pick for the Supreme Court—and he picked a mom.

The New York Times reports President Trump is choosing Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee. An official statement is scheduled for Saturday.

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