Hey, I am Jemma, I created our Hey Happy cards.

I get asked a lot, how old was your child (Harvey) when you started doing the cards? Or someone will simply tell me ‘Oh my child is too young, maybe when they are older’.

The truth is I started from when he was newborn, we didn’t have the cards it was simply a daily moment that created the change within Harvey, as he has grown I have been asked how he speaks as he does, what did I do differently? These constant questions made me realise I had done something that has worked.

I knew I needed to try and bottle it up and that’s how I came up with our Hey Happy cards.

As a newborn I found it easy to explain to my new baby what we were doing with the day, mummy will have a shower now and then we will go for a walk, we will just change your nappy…you get the jist, but it’s hard to have a meaningful conversation with a child that doesn’t speak back.

So just to rewind – I have since the age of 18 have noted three things daily that I am grateful for, three positive things about the day, myself or circumstances.

I saw Oprah Winfrey talking about how it changed her life and I’ve done it ever since, however when I had my baby this all went out of the window and I wasn’t doing these little daily things that were so helpful to my own wellbeing.

So I decided to start over and I no longer wrote these in a journal, I would say them to my baby, three things I was happy about or grateful for, everyday.

It became a moment of connection for us everyday, he would smile and watch me as I explained my three things, I believe my positive energy in this exchange was only helped by him smiling back at me, funnily enough, never did he screech or cry in these moments, it was something to enjoy together.

As Harvey got older, we continued this daily practice, he started to say things that made him happy – albeit a biscuit or toy, but as he grew it became very clear….he was ‘present’ in a way we as adults struggle to be, he was able to express thanks in that very moment. One of the first times he chose to share his gratitude he was 3 and a half, close to 4, I asked at the dinner table let’s all share something we are grateful for (as we all sat around a dinner table, parents their new partners, my siblings) Harvey said I can go first “I am so grateful we are all here together and we get to be here now” we all sat in awe, I get goosebumps still, he got it, he understood what gratitude means, he understood the feeling, and was able to be so present with it and articulate this feeling.

So for me – there’s no such thing as too young, their young minds are forming, what we subject our children to creates their perception of what the world is, what people are like, how we speak to them becomes like a narrative in their little mind as to who they are, we help form their opinions and their experiences, I decided to add in three observations of gratitude in relation to Harvey and I spoke those in to his little ears until he could tell me himself what he feels.

Our Hey Happy cards are a collection of observations and affirmation style topics that we have spoken about over the last 5 years, we hope they help you and your children connect to.

To purchase a box of Hey Happy cards click the button below