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Inside: Discover 14 simple ways to connect and make kids feel loved every day. These ideas are easy to put into practice and they mean so much for the kids!
“Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.”
This quote by Charles R. Swindoll is such a wonderful reminder to make more room for joy and connection every single day.
Time goes by so quickly and making kids feel loved is an easy and important way to add more joy to their childhood!
We don’t even need to do big gestures to make children feel special. The little things are often the ones that matter the most!
I love to see the joy on my children’s faces when we cuddle on the couch and read books together.
I love to see their big smiles when we play on the floor with their favorite toys.
And I love to hear their laughs when we chase each other around the house andend every chase with a big hug.
These moments will stay in my heart forever!
Even if I will not remember the details, I will certainly remember the love and connection I feel in these moments! And I’m pretty sure my kids will remember this too!
One of the biggest wishes I have as a mom is for my kids to be able to look back at their childhood and feel that they were always loved and cherished.
photo credit:AnikaNes / shutterstock.com
14 little things that will make kids feel loved
Making kids feel loved is much more than a way to make them happy. It’s the most powerful way to boost their confidence and emotional well-being.
Kids who feel loved and appreciated thrive.They feel empowered to try new things and follow their dreams. They learn to be kind and caring, develop their self-esteem, and build a strong foundation for their happiness later in life.
The love we show to our kids as they grow up will have a long-lasting positive impact on their lives.
This is why I gathered here a list of my favorite little things that parents can do to make kids feel loved. They are so easy to do even when life gets busy and they mean so much!
1. Ask your child about their day and the things that made them happy or sad along the day.
One easy way to do this is to create a bedtime ritual of having a short conversation with your child about their day every evening.
Ask them about their favorite part of the day and their least favorite part, about the things that brought them joy during the day and the things that made them feel sad or worried.
Share things about your day as well to help your child feel closer to you and encourage them to open up to you about their thoughts and feelings.
2. Say nice things about your kids to other people.
This is such a simple way to boost their self-esteem!
Almost every evening I tell my husband nice things the kids did during the day: interesting things they said, kind gestures they made, new ideas they came up with, fun moments we enjoyed together.
My oldest son loves this so much! I can see how proud he is anytime he hears me say positive things about him, and this easy daily habit is a great opportunity to show him that I notice the nice things he does every day.
3. Make time for what your kids love.
Make time to talk to your kids every day and truly listen to what they have to say (no matter how unimportant it seems). Invite your kids to tell you about their toys and hobbies, and ask them questions about them.
If they are really passionate about something, think about ways to include that topic in the activities you do together (even if it’s something you are not passionate about).
4. Ask for your kids’ opinions on everyday matters.
Let them know that their opinions matter to you. This will make them feel important and also give you the chance to get to know them better.
5. Add more joy to your child’s day by doing something spontaneous or silly.
Start a 10-minute dance party in the living room. Sing a song in a funny voice. Pick your child from school and do something fun together instead of going home. Share a funny story about your childhood and make your kids laugh.
6. Prepare little surprises for your kids and enjoy their happy reactions!
Here are some easy ideas to try:
- Decorate the bathroom mirror with a lovely message for the child.
- Hide a note in a balloon and invite the child to pop it. The note inside can be an invitation to a surprise activity or just a love note from you.
- Plan a surprise playdate with your child’s best friends.
- Plan a special mom-child date and do something fun together (visit a museum, watch a movie together with popcorn and snacks, go to your favorite ice-cream shop, etc).
photo credit: goodmoments / shutterstock.com
7. Tell your kids about the things you love most about them.
If you want to turn this into a lovely gift for your child, create a jar full of notes that include reasons why you love them.
We did this for one of my son’s birthdays, and he loved the idea! He asked us to read all the notes over and over again after he received the gift, and we still read them now from time to time.
8. Spend some time every day connecting with your kids without any distractions.
This is by far one of the most powerful ways to make kids feel loved and cherished!
One of the things that helped me be more intentional about spending quality time with my kids is setting half an hour every single day for us to spend together (with no distractions or interruptions), no matter how busy our day is.
Also, if you want to find more opportunities to spend one-on-one time with your kids, here is a great idea to try: For each child, set up a day every week when they get an extended bedtime and they can spend 20-30 minutes with you while the other kids are in bed.
This way you can enjoy a special time with each of your kids on a regular basis, even when life gets very busy.
If you are looking for activity ideas to try with your kids, you’ll find plenty of inspiration inside the Family Joy Club.
9. Create simple traditions that focus on connection.
My son’s teacher has a lovely tradition of taking their kids out for a special treat every Friday afternoon, to celebrate the start of the weekend.
In our home, our favorite weekly traditions are our family night and making pancakes together every weekend. 😊
10. Write love notes for your kids.
Leave the messages in places where the kids will easily find them. (e.g. in the lunchbox, on the mirror, on their beds, in their bags)
11. Share stories about your childhood and lovely memories you have about your kids.
Kids love to hear stories about their parents! Sharing stories about your childhood (especially from the time you were the same age as your kids are now) is a great way to connect with your kids and encourage them to share their experiences as well.
Also, sharing stories about happy moments you enjoyed with your kids when they were younger is an easy way to show them how loved and cherished they are!
12. Start a mother-child journal (or create family mailboxes)
Starting a journal is a powerful way to connect with your kids and get closer to them.
Use a notebook (or one of these wonderful mother-daughter or mother-son journals) to record your thoughts and feelings or share things you want to remember over the years.
Another nice idea to try is creating family mailboxes and using them to encourage communication and connection.
13. Give compliments and let your kids see how much you appreciate them.
Tell your kids how much you appreciate their efforts. Let them know that you notice all the nice things they do.
Frame some of the drawings your kids drew for you and display them in your home.
14. Say “I love you” every day and let your kids know how happy you are that they are part of your life.
Simple phrases like “I love spending time with you” or “You add so much joy to my life” can brighten your child’s day more than you imagine.
Mom life can easily become very busy because of all the tasks you need to do every day. But many of these ideas only take a few minutes of your time. And in the long run, they will matter more than anything else!
Making room for connection every single day is the easiest way to get to your child’s heart and make them happy!
The time we spend making our kids feel loved and appreciated is one of the best investments we can make in their future! It means offering them the precious gift of knowing that they will always have someone to care for them and love them unconditionally.
photo credit preview photo:Monkey Business Images / shutterstock.com
