Love them

Well this sounds obvious! You love your kids. But, I encourage you to up the ante on the LOVE! This blog will highlight 5 super simple ways that you can up your efforts to SHOW your kids that you love them and strengthen your relationship!

This one is pretty straight forward – LOVE your child! I know, I know, this sounds not so groundbreaking, of course you love your child... but what I really want you to ask yourself today is, “is it obvious to my child?” This is one area of your relationship with your child that is easy to strengthen at any age.

Take a moment to think about what you do to show your little one that you love him/her… No, I don’t mean the everyday things like; you cook their dinner, you wipe their bum or you drive them to sport and dance lessons. Kids don’t realise that you do these things because you love them. They notice other things like; hugs, kisses, tender strokes of their arm while sitting in front of the TV together. They notice time spent one on one with you and they notice when you tell them you love them, tell them you are proud of them, and you think they are AMAZING! All that chest puffing stuff for kids is so important to their self-worth. Read on to discover 5 little things you can do to get the best LOVE connection with your child…

Before we get to these hints, I want you to just imagine a life of never being told you were loved, good enough or worthy of someone’s love. Of course our kids need us to love them but more than that, they need to feel loved. Can you recognise there is a big difference? Let’s not keep our kids guessing about our love for them. So, next time you see your child, try doing something little to show them they are loved (even on the days they drive you crazy!). Then, each day find at least one of the ideas below and keep selecting something to do, like a routine, everyday. Soon, you will observe and smile as their little chests puff out and their eyes sparkle and they skip away happily feeling loved. Better yet, you may even see them coming to you to SHOW YOU they love you too.

5 ways to SHOW love to your child;

1. Hugs - This might be every morning and every night PLUS an extra time in the day when needed/wanted. Just don’t take it too far and smother them in hugs all day either… that could be irritating to them, and personal space is important even for our littles. It’s always a good idea to ask permission, “Can I have a hug, please?” OR “Would you like a hug?”

2. Kisses – This one is much the same as the hugs… What is important here is that it is one or two kisses on the cheek or forehead and that is it. Nobody wants to be kissed over and over and over, that is not cool mum!!

3. Physical safe touching – If you are lazing on the couch at the end of the day together or sharing a book at bedtime, a simple few strokes on the arm, back or of their hair can be great for connectedness especially at a time that is calm and relaxed. Again, just be in tune with your child’s uneasiness and maybe ask permission or ask if they mind you doing it.

4. Give a compliment – Keep this one simple and honest… Say something like; I’m proud of you; I love the way you help your little brother pack away the toys; I appreciate it when you help me carry the bags to the car; I think you are getting so good at getting dressed yourself!”

5. Say “I love you” - This is always a good one to say as you drop them at child care or school. It’s great at bedtime when you are saying goodnight and it’s lovely to say it whenever they are calm and relaxed (and behaving)! The extra nice one about this is that you can even say it when you are having a serious discussion like when they haven’t been so nice to their little brother or there has been an argument. When dealing with behaviours it is always important to show and tell your child that you still love them even when they have made a mistake or you aren’t happy with a choice they made.

Ok, there you have it! 5 easy little ways you can SHOW your little one that you love them. Once you have tried this, I’m sure you will feel that you are improving that connection, building a loving relationship, one hug at a time!