Every Day, In Some Way, Say ‘I Love You’ To Your Children...
- That looks difficult and you aren’t giving up. That takes courage.
- I could tell how important that was to you.
- I trust you to make that decision.
- Let’s build a fort and then read our night time stories.
- You really make me smile, I love being with you.
- How about a hug, just because.
- When we say good-bye, let’s remember our good-bye routine.
- Those tears tell me you are having a hard day. Do you need to talk?
- Your smile brightens my day.
- Let’s play.
- I love you this much!
- Tell me about your day. (I won’t look at my phone or any other screen.)
- You look really frustrated/sad/mad/scared. Let’s talk it out
- I believe in you!
- What is your opinion?
- Pick your favorite meal and let’s make it together.
- I love how you build with blocks. You are a scientist.
- Let’s do your chores together.
- We stick together through good times and hard times.
- I noticed you tried something new. Tell me how that felt.
Giving Praise to our Children
Most often praise needs to be specific. Find specific ways to catch your children being good. Often we find ourselves pointing out their behaviors that we don’t like. We need to spend more time pointing out their behaviors we do like.
