Nanny and 5-year-old with Down syndrome say daily affirmations together — 'so emotional'
North Dakota college student leads little boy in her care through his daily affirmations: See the video
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}When Sarah Nordin received a video of her 5-year-old son, Cohen, reciting affirmations before school one morning, it made her "so emotional."
It was sent to her by Cohen's nanny, Eva Abfalter.
"I didn't even know they were doing this each day," Nordin of West Fargo, North Dakota, told Fox News Digital.
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It turns out they've been practicing nearly every day for a year before Cohen boards his school bus, Nordin said.
Abfalter, who is studying speech and language pathology at the Minnesota State University Moorhead, told Fox News Digital that when she started the affirmations with Cohen, they were barely intelligible.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cohen has Down syndrome and speech is frequently, but not always, a challenge for kids with the condition.
"Now he can pretty much say them all on his own," Abfalter said. "Sometimes I prompt him with the first sound, but that's it."
In the video, Cohen can be heard saying, "I am smart, I am handsome, I am going to have a good day, I am important." (See the video at the top of this article).
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Abfalter said she got the idea to say affirmations with Cohen from a video she saw on TikTok.
"I think it can really change the way a child views themselves," she said, adding that she hopes if Cohen is having a tough day, he can draw on his affirmations for confidence.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I'm happy he can take [this tool] into school each day," Abfalter noted.
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Abfalter said she's proud of Cohen for coming so far in his speech.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I'd love to take credit, but it's he and his family that put in the work every day," she added. "He's the hardest working kid I know."
Abfalter hopes Cohen can draw from his affirmations if he ever finds himself having a tough day at school, she said. (Sarah Nordin )
Nordin told Fox News Digital that Cohen "loves" Abfalter.
"She believes in him just as much as we do," Nordin added.
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