Azena Baxter or otherwise known as Soul Mumma has a great way to inspire children with her positive affirmation cards.
Openly discussing mental health, well-being and self care, is something Azena wants families to feel comfortable talking about.
She told the ECHO how she does not want them to be taboo topics and feels that she can help provide ways of how to deal with our feelings from an early age.
Soul Mumma told the ECHO that: “I started doing affirmations with my now three year old when she was about 18 months/2 years old in order to teach her about self love, confidence, self awareness and being able to identify, understand and communicate her emotions from as early on as possible.”
She added: “I realised that I could create something that was accessible for all children in order to cultivate and nurture happy healthy minds through forms of self care, self love and mindfulness for families.”
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Explaining why she chose this name Azena said: “Soul Mumma - is about me being a mother that wants to help improve the well-being of the mind, body and soul of others.”
Each standard pack of affirmations consists of 28 cards; two Intro cards, two bonus cards and 24 affirmation cards that each have an affirmation, a picture, two reflective questions to promote connection and communication and a bold statement on the back to reaffirm.
Azena believes that the way we see ourselves and the way we teach our children should always be positive.
She added: "Children we spend so much time in formal education, but it doesn't teach you enough about the real life skills and traits you need such as; how to love the person you are without the fear of being judged.
“How to manage and communicate your emotions, how to be resilient, the power of perseverance, and understanding that success is due to being the best you can be, rather than being better than someone else.
“All of these become things that we have to relearn as adults but I want children to develop the power from as young as possible.”
Azena has an undergraduate degree in Sociology, a postgraduate degree in Family and Child Psychology and is currently a Trainee Mindfulness Practitioner, accredited by the IMMA (International Mindful Meditation Alliance)
In the last two months Soul Mumma’s positive affirmation cards have sold to over 50 families and she is taking pre orders as demand increases.
She told the ECHO: “It is so amazing to see families and even some teachers using my affirmations cards to teach self love, confidence and positivity. The feedback makes me proud to be able to provide resources to help develop emotional intelligence”.
Teachers from Liverpool and Wirral Schools have also purchased her cards as have parents and she said she has had positive feedback.
Azena will also be launching some new products over the coming weeks along with a well-being programme called ‘Soul Sessions.’
She added: "A programme designed around creative mindfulness; educating children about themselves, understanding thoughts, feelings and the importance of being kind to yourself without doubt or regret.
“I will work with children to create an internal educational toolkit of their own minds and emotions that they can carry throughout life to incorporate mental health learning into everyday actions.
“It is beneficial to ourselves and others because, as we connect to ourselves; we become self-aware, confident, resilient, kind and compassionate”.
The programme lasts for six weeks and parents can join in or just watch and listen, and full details will be made available on her website.
Azena advises that statistics show that 1 in 4 adults suffer mental health and she said: “The statistics on child mental health is shockingly high; 1 in 6 children aged 5-16 suffer from mental health - that means 5 out of 30 children in a classroom.
“I want to create something to help prevent our adults of tomorrow from growing up to be the 1 in 4 adults by creating happy healthy minds”.
Soul Mumma has a stall, each first Saturday of the month, at Granby Street market in Liverpool 8 and holds advice and information sessions throughout the community.
There is also access to free downloadable resources on the Soul Mumma website.
