Like any good relationship, the relationship with your child can benefit from thoughtful gestures that help your child feel special and deeply loved.
It's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day responsibilities of parenting that we sometimes forget to add touches of love that can deepen the bond with our children.
I'm going to suggest 28 small, loving gestures that will add sparkle to your child's day without much effort on your part as you juggle the many demands of parenthood. Perhaps you want to try just one? Or perhaps you can try one each day this month? Know that your child will deeply appreciate the extra love you're sending his/her way.
- Put love notes in your child’s lunchbox or under her pillow
- Whisper "I love you" in his ear
- Call her by a pet name
- Spend 15 minutes alone with him today
- Snuggle closely tonight
- Leave a Hershey's kiss on her pillow
- Watch videos of him as a baby
- Get a kid's joke book and giggle together
- Massage her feet
- Play his favorite game 6 times!
- Let her stay up late one night with you
- Tell him cute stories of when he was younger
- Make a meal with all of her favorite things
- Bake an "I love you" cake with Xs and Os on top
- Make him his own fuzzy blanket
- Look her in the eye and tell her what you love most about her
- Tell him you can't imagine parenting anyone else
- Surprise her and have lunch with her at school
- Take a walk in the woods together
- Make him a tape with a secret message
- Set up a scavenger hunt with a prize at the end
- Give her coupons worth 10 free hugs
- Have a tickle fest and enjoy his giggles
- Make up a poem about her
- Compliment him in front of someone else
- Give her a single rose
- Dance with him in the living room
- Dress up and have a fancy dinner
- Be thankful for the incredible gift you've been given!
I'd love it if you'd share special things that you do to stay close to your child!
I tell my kids that I am most proud of them for who they are on the inside. I tell them that it's great to be good in school or at sports but that's not the most important thing.
I also tell them that I will love them no matter what. I don't want them to feel like they have to be perfect for my love. I told my high achieving son recently that even though his brother and sister's grades took a recent nose dive, I don't love them one bit less and the same goes for him if he screws up at something in the future.
Posted by: Irene Gutmann | February 15, 2008 at 02:15 PM
Sit on the couch with her and watch her favorite shows. Listen intently to the gossip and comments she discusses about each show.
Posted by: Tina Renee | February 21, 2008 at 08:03 AM