T’was a snarky day at work when a co-worker hilariously (yet aptly) observed that the only real way to ensure that staff emails got read was to post them in the bathroom.
Because let’s face it, when you’re on the toilet, you’re a captive audience!
And in that laughter, an idea was born: Could I reach my daughter by posting things in the bathroom?
I thought about what I wanted to teach at home. What do I want my daughter to grow up believing? I decided that our bathroom right off our kitchen and living room had a perfect blank door in front of the toilet. The space needed some pizazz anyway, and I had been saving numerous quotes for years, with no idea of what to do with them. Using inspirational quotes to empower teens in the bathroom? SURE!
I immediately started posting up my favorites on the door, like:
“Beautiful Girl, you can do hard things.”
From this quote grew a collection of empowering messages I want my daughter to see. Finally, I had a purpose for all those inspirational quotes I screen shot from Instagram!
Some I would print out, others were handwritten. I tried to make it artsy, chose different colors, and give credit to the author whenever possible. This door of quotes morphed into an interactive display where friends and family now add their favorites. I’ve interspersed meaty thoughts with humorous ones because laughter is certainly therapeutic, and it keeps us continually rereading the wall, searching for new, fun Easter egg-type quotes.
Using inspirational quotes to empower teens hasn’t been as easy as I thought. I’ve had to check myself in a couple of instances:
- I saw somewhere: “Nah.” – Rosa Parks, 1955. I immediately put it up because of the strength and impact she had on the world. Plus the fact that I’d like my daughter to join the fight against injustice. However, upon reflection, it didn’t feel right. The use of ‘nah’ seems like an off-handed thought, almost trivializing her actions and making it seem like it was an easy decision. I quickly took it down, discussed with my daughter my thought process and the fact that as a white person, I need to always be reflecting on my privilege. Paraphrasing a woman of color in this manner and displaying it in my home just didn’t feel right.
- “Today me will live in the moment, unless it’s unpleasant, in which case, me will eat a cookie.” – Cookie Monster. I saw this, laughed my butt off and put it up. It’s funny and a nice throw-back to when my girl was little. But quickly, I began to ruminate on this. Eating when we’re stressed is sadly, exactly what our society often does. Serotonin is released, and for the moment, we feel better emotionally, which elevates our mood. But it doesn’t last, causing more cravings and a vicious cycle! Honestly, my daughter has seen me stress-eat, but solving problems through eating is not something that I want my girl internalizing.
I usually leave quotes up for a long time, hoping that they will be read again and again, thereby cementing themselves in her subconscious. I have since vowed to be more selective as to what I hang up…and to model healthier coping solutions when I am stressed.
Here are some of my favorite Inspirational Quotes for Teens!
- Admire someone else’s beauty without questioning your own.
- “If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” – Roald Dahl
- Fear means go!
- A comfort zone is a beautiful thing but nothing ever grows there.
- Real girls are never perfect and perfect girls are never real.
- Be brave enough to say what you want to say, not what people want to hear.
- “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford
- Say yes to new adventures!
- Stress makes you think that everything has to be fixed right now. Just breathe. Remember that things have a way of working themselves out naturally.
- Talk with people who make you see the world differently.
- I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life – and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.
Additionally, search Pinterest and Instagram for more! Here are a few pages to get you started:
- 203 Inspirational Quotes
- Top 25 Inspirational Quotes
- The Loving Diet on Instagram
- Wellness Lemonade (that’s me!) on Instagram
Do you have inspirational quotes for teens that you love? I’d love to hear them! And, do you have a different way of using them to empower your kids? Please share below…us moms have to stick together!
