Ways To Make Our Little Ones Feel Loved

Your children need your love, time, and undivided attention. As a parent, you’re likely to be the most significant influence in their lives — and it’s up to you to help them to feel secure and build their confidence.

Habits that become a regular part of your family life will have the most impact.

Even on your busiest days, you can show your child that you care during your ordinary, everyday activities.

Consider the following ideas to integrate into your regular routines to make your child feel loved and valued:

Embrace Your Children As They Are 

Let your children grow as the unique individuals they already are. Allow them to discover themselves, their likes and dislikes, their strengths and weaknesses. Your children are not you, and they should be able to have their own dreams and aspirations, and more often than not, those will be different from your own dreams and aspirations.

Appreciate the individuality of each child a blessing and pursue ways to expand on that. Be open minded, and don’t push your child into pursuits that they are not interested in. Believe in and love your kids for who they are. Allow them to be their true self and embrace them as they are.

Prioritize Face-to-Face Time

Getting on the floor with them, playing house, enjoying backyard play, sitting at the table to do a craft or school work have been great ways to be near each other and enjoy each other’s company. Looking into their eyes, seeing what might be stirring in their souls, and watching their expressions is all a part of getting to know them better.

Face-to-face time has to be intentional as there are many things competing for our time – including screen time! You should never regret that time and the preciousness of being fully present.

Thank Your Child

“Thank you”

Those two words are some of the most powerful words you can say to your kids. My guess is we can all say that a little more. And I’m not talking about only when they do something you’ve asked them to do. I’m talking about thanking them just for being them.

No matter how you say thank you to your kids, just say it. Saying thank you can come in many different forms. It doesn’t matter how you say — the important thing is you do say it.

Seek To Understand Real Needs

Fits, outbursts of anger, sadness, anger, tears, lashing out and more are all outward signs of an inward struggle. Perhaps, your child’s need at the moment is sleep, food, a nap, or some quiet time. Maybe they just need your touch. Or they’re struggling with jealousy, selfishness, and wanting a toy they can’t have.

Seek to draw out the real issue underneath and help them work through it. Having a practical solution can help your sanity and calm the frustration on both ends. Thus, helping both of you better enjoy your time together.

Show Your Affection 

At a loss for words? Show your kids you love them with a hug or arm around the shoulder. Ruffle their hair, give them a kiss, or my favorite, hold hands. Even a high-five or fist bump works. A physical connection that reminds them you care.

Isaiah 43:4

“You are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you.”

Encourage Your Child

To help build your child’s self-esteem, they need lots of encouragement. A positive sense of self is one of the most wonderful gifts to give your child. When they are scared, nervous, or feeling down, help them get through it. Be their biggest cheerleader. Share words of encouragement.

When you use encouraging words, this can have a lasting positive effect on your child.

Discipline With Affection

Especially when your kids are going through the tantrum phase, it’s so difficult to control your emotions and discipline them without blowing up. Whether you decide to discipline with time-outs, time-ins, or just stern words, make sure to hug them afterward and tell them how much you love them despite what they did.

Support Them When They Fail

The first part of this is to let your children fail. They need to fail to learn. However, when they do, be there for them, and support them with kind words and hugs. Give them the assurance that bad things do happen from time to time, but as long as they tried their best, then that’s all they can do. But no matter what happens, mommy will be there with open arms and a big, warm smile.

Compliment Your Child 

Compliment your child, especially in front of other friends and family, not only are you helping your child feel loved and appreciated, you’re building up… yes…their self-confidence!

Positive reinforcement can also help condition a child to repeat the praised behavior.

Letting them know that they are loved and appreciated; complimenting their strengths and acknowledging their achievements. Our kids want this praise, and we want to give it to them! Now, we’re just trying to do it with a focus on quality over quantity.

And in turn, we’re hoping we’ll be doing our part in raising a generation of confident, independent, and thoughtful kids.

Tell Your Child “I Love You”

Now is always the perfect time to tell your child you love them. There is never a rhyme, reason, or just cause. It’s always now. You can never tell your child “I love you” too much. Now, get out there and share the love!

Making your children feel loved and valued will help them to grow up to be happy and responsible adults. Treasure your time together and create memories that you’ll both enjoy for years to come.

Read last week's Mommy Moments: Are You Watering Your Garden Everyday?