All kids want to feel seen and heard. They want to feel important and know that they are loved. This is especially important as a primary caregiver because kids don’t have the ability to know that they are important until we show them through our actions. Below are five ways that will go far with your kids to make them feel important.
1. Date your kids. Yes, I said date your kids. Spending one on one quality time with them and letting them choose the activity will make them feel important. Often times as kids, they get dragged around to events that are important to the parents, not yet realizing that if it’s important to someone you have a relationship with, then it should be important to you too. They also don’t get a lot of time to feel like they matter separate from the family as individuals and one on one time is something all kids value.
2. Listen when they talk. I mean REALLY listen. Get down to their level and look them in the eye. Put aside any distractions while you’re talking to them. Ask them questions about what they are saying to find out what that means to them or why it interests them. Be engaged. They have a lot of interesting things to say and you’ll likely learn something too!
3. Give your kids lots of hugs and kisses. Giving your kids lots of affection helps nurture their bond with you. This is why physical touch between a parent and baby is encouraged from the moment they are born. Physical touch increases your dopamine and seratonin levels, which make you feel good. The more you give them hugs and kisses, the better they will feel.
4. Create rituals. Have habits and routines they can look forward to. Family mealtime is a great way to add quality time to the day and for all family members to share about their day. Bedtimes routines give you and your kids a chance to unwind and connect with each other. You can also create rituals for special occasions, such as a Christmas Family puzzle during the holidays!
5. Ask for their help and give them compliments. Kids like to be responsible for things. Share in the household chores and them show them appreciation and praise them for helping. This goes a long way towards making them feel important. They’ll also want to help out more if you are showing them your appreciation instead of treating their help as an expectation. It can be something as simple as making feeding the family pet their responsibility to setting the table before a meal.
As our children’s primary caregiver, it’s our responsibility to make them feel valued and loved. Spending one on one time with them, listening to them, giving them lots of affection, creating rituals, asking for their help and giving them compliments will all contribute to their emotional well being.
What else do you do to make your child feel loved?