11 Easy Ways To Make Kids Feel Loved Everyday
8. Show up.
You don’t have to go to every game or performance — can you imagine?! — but it makes an impact when you do. My kindergartner is always thrilled when I drive for her field trip or serve hot lunch at her school.
9. Let them choose.
Whether it’s picking the activity, what to eat for dinner, or which movie to watch, letting your child make choices about how to spend time together is a great way to make them feel special. You might end up having mac and cheese for the third time that week while watching Moana (again), but your sacrifice will be deeply appreciated by your beaming kid. And that makes it totally worth it.
10. Smile.
I have what I like to call “resting mom face.” By 5 p.m. my face is entirely slack and devoid of emotion. I’m usually just exhausted, but my kids sometimes think I’m sad or angry, even when I’m not. That’s when I look them in the eye and flash them a big, gloppy, grin, which makes them crack up. Smiles are like yawns: totally contagious.
11. Set boundaries.
Believe it or not, kids feel safer and more confident when they know what they are and are not permitted to do or say. Letting them have free rein over their schedules, food choices, or curfew can be overwhelming for a kid or young adult. Knowing someone cares about what they’re doing makes them feel loved, even if they complain about it. So let them have some choices, but let them know their parameters too.
There are so many ways to show our kids we love them — countless ways. The good news is, you can’t overdo it. Love doesn’t spoil anyone. It just helps kids become confident, happy people who know what love looks like and how to pass it on.
