(Listen to these ideas on my Insight timer)
I spent many years working with children and creating art for kids—music and musicals. I’ve always been fascinated by the early years of a child’s life and the profound impact they have on who we become as adults.
Let’s start with a truth that’s as profound as it is simple: our subconscious creates our realities. The experiences we live through early in life don’t just shape us—they ripple outward, influencing the collective reality we share.
This makes the work of early educators, parents, and content creators incredibly important. These roles have the power to shape society in ways we might not always realize.
The Power of the Subconscious in Early Childhood
The first seven years of a child’s life are formative, creating the subconscious programs through which they’ll filter their experiences as adults. You may have heard the saying: “Show me the child, and I’ll show you the man.” This reflects what modern neuroscience now confirms: our early experiences deeply influence the adults we become.
During these formative years, the brain is highly neuroplastic—meaning its neural pathways are especially malleable. Think of it like running a marble through sand. The first time the marble rolls, it leaves a faint path. Roll the marble through the same spot again, and the groove deepens. Over time, the path becomes so pronounced that it’s challenging to roll the marble anywhere else. This is how neural pathways form and solidify.
Many of us find that, as adults, we’re still following the same well-worn mental and emotional paths carved in childhood. Sometimes these paths serve us—but other times, they reflect patterns we unconsciously absorbed from our parents or inherited through intergenerational trauma. These subconscious stories can continue to shape our choices, even when they no longer align with who we want to be.
Reprogramming the Subconscious
As adults, we often reach a point where these inherited narratives cause discomfort or pain, motivating us to change. We explore therapy, manifestation practices, or subconscious reprogramming techniques. Personally, I’ve found these tools particularly effective:
Music
Nighttime mantras (playing affirmations while I sleep)
Mirror work ( https://www.louisehay.com/what-is-mirror-work/ )
Play and ecstatic dance ( https://www.coastalvibecollective.ca/ )
Creative arts (collage, visual art, and writing)
Each of these practices helps me create new neural pathways—new grooves in the sand, so to speak. But just as with the marble analogy, this process takes patience. The older pathways can feel as deep and unchangeable as the Grand Canyon, but with consistency, love, and care, it’s possible to create new ones.
Shaping Subconscious Narratives in Children
This brings us to the exciting role we play as educators, creators, or parents. We have a unique opportunity to support the healthy formation of neural pathways in the children we care for.
This isn’t about controlling their minds or imposing rigid agendas—it’s about creating a safe, loving environment where their subconscious can form empowering beliefs. Sadly, much of the media consumed by children today doesn’t offer this. Many narratives introduce themes of fear, scarcity, or loss that don’t serve their emotional well-being.
Take Disney movies, for example. Have you noticed that nearly every story involves a parent tragically passing away? While this may feel like harmless fiction to adults, young children—whose subconscious minds are wide open—often can’t distinguish between illusion and reality.
Crafting Positive Content for Kids
When I create music or stories for children, I aim to plant seeds of self-trust, love, and connection. Narratives like:
“Listen to your body.”
“You are loved and safe.”
“Remember, you are magic.”
These affirmations aren’t about imposing a worldview. They’re gentle reminders of the inherent wisdom, beauty, and belonging we all have. They provide children with the tools to build strong, healthy neural pathways that will serve them for a lifetime.
What’s beautiful about this work is how it benefits me, too. Creating repetitive, affirming content, like music, acts as an incantation—reprogramming my own subconscious even as I share it with others.
A Gentle Reminder
If you work with children, you are a partner in shaping the subconscious programs that will guide their lives. The container you create during their formative years matters deeply—not just for their futures, but for the collective reality we all share.
Let’s fill that space with love, wisdom, and the kind of stories that remind them of their truth: they are wise, brilliant, and deeply connected to this world.
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