10 Little Ways to Show Your Kids You Love Them
73Life can get so busy, especially for a mom. You spend your days running around trying to get everything done; working, cleaning, cooking, checking homework, making appointments with doctors and dentists (and then trying to keep them). Your to do list is most likely a mile long. Mine too.
The things we do each day are important to the health and well being of our family, but are they the most important things? Should they be the top priority? Does your life ever get so busy that you run out of time to simply be with your kids and enjoy each other?
I've decided that I’m going to focus on giving my kids a steady stream of love in simple ways, regardless of how many things remain unchecked on my to do list. Care to join me? Here is a quick and easy list to help us get started.
10 Ways to Show Your Kids You Love Them
- Make a date with your child. Let them pick a favorite restaurant or activity and spend a couple of hours talking and enjoying some quality time.
- Wake your child up gently each morning, with a kiss, a gentle “time to get up,” and a hug. It’s a sweet way to start every day.
- Cook their favorite dinner and let them help prepare it. You’ll benefit from quality time and a cooking lesson all in one.
- Play together; any game will do! Whether you are building snowmen, piecing together a jigsaw puzzle or playing Wii, take the time to enjoy an activity other than homework and chores.
- If your child is struggling in school academically or socially, make a commitment to help in any way you can. Contact your child’s teacher or guidance counselor and be their advocate. They need you, and your efforts will show your love and support.
- Ask your child to make a list of things that would make them feel loved. Their answers may surprise you!
- Create a new word or gesture that only the two of you know. Use it when you are out shopping or at a gathering. It will be your shared secret!
- Give them a genuine compliment beyond the standard “good job.” Compliment them on a specific achievement, effort or quality you enjoy about them.
- Celebrate the small victories and milestones in their lives with a cake and a mini-party. Some occasions could include losing a tooth, finishing a challenging book, winning a soccer game or getting an A on a quiz.
- Listen, listen, and listen some more. Kids have a way of telling you what they need, but it requires you to be fully present and hear them. Sometimes they just need to vent. Sometimes they are just harassing you for kicks. Learn to tell the difference.
Remember, you can always start fresh every day. Parenting will surely bring many, many, challenging days your way. End each day with a warm hug and know that tomorrow will bring you a new opportunity to strengthen your relationship with your children.
Do you have any ideas that you would like to share? Please add them in the comments section!
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Thanks so much. My kids come right out and tell me when I'm not "showing the love" enough. I guess they keep me in line when I get too caught up in everything else...including writing hubs!
amy, I'll take the challenge and join you in showing my kids a steady stream of love. What a wonderful thing, and something that probably is too sporadic in my relationships with my kids. Thanks for the prodding and great hub!
Hi amy jane,
This is a lovely hub and yes you are so right, we do need to show our children that they are loved.
Great work, I enjoyed this one.
Take care,
Eiddwen.
Excellent hub. I believe your relationship with your kids must be very close. :)
very helpful for those parents who do it already to some extent and others who are lacking. I like it. A nice feel good hub as it will improve many lives.
Good Hub! I have no children but I appreciate your page, I like your words, I like to think to an ideal relationship between parents and children.
Great article. Thumbs up and useful!
Great list! The first time I took my daughter on a "date" was about a week before my third child was born. I knew that my oldest would be feeling a little left out with the upcoming new addition, so we went to see Tangled, just her and me. It was a blast, and she still talks about it.
Short and oh so sweet. Number 10, in my book, is the most important...listen, listen, listen. Being fully present means that you put their needs before yours, seeing their world before your own. A difficult task to be sure, but not enough can be said about its worth.
Fantastic hub! Thank you :)..I love love number 6 and all of them!
Thanks for this hub. Think of how much nicer the world would be if parents just did one thing on this list on a consistent basis. Simple things can make a big difference.
Two Thumbs up from me... Awesome!
Lovely hub, and all so true. My boys are 3,5 and 7. I used to find it so easy to show this steady stream of love every single day when we were all at home together every day, when life was that little bit slower. But when my eldest started school, and life became so much more busy, I noticed myself getting cross very easily, shouting an awful lot and just generally not being as good a mum as I had been. My kids still got lots of love from me, but I just felt that I was letting them down. So for the past couple of years I've really been working on being that nice mum that used to be so much less SHOUTY. I've got a little better each year, and this year (so far) it's been wonderful. I've barely shouted at all, and as a result my kids are behaving beautifully. And as a further result we have a lot more time to enjoy long conversations, and play together and work through difficult homework. My eldest was struggling with his maths last year at school, but since I've been spending time on it with him every day he has improved enormously.
All these points that you've mentioned are essential, I think, in helping your little people grow into considerate and compassionate and well-round, sensible individuals.
Excellent hub.
Linda.
Excellent hub and enjoyed reading it. Some of the points I am following already, but there are some more, which I would surely love to implement :)
rpalulis 15 months ago
These are excellent ways on how to show your kids you love them, I love the new word and creating gesture, and yes listen, listen and listen some more, so much wisdom and love here, your an awesome mother!