how can I make sure my kids know I love them?

In this article:

• starting the conversation about love
• ideas and activities for showing your love
• free Valentine's Day download for families

As parents and caregivers, we know just how much we love our kids. We would do anything for them, and depending on their age, we can't help but shower them with hugs and kisses. But how can we be sure that our kids know and understand that they're loved, and why is that so important?

“The most important relationship to a child is the one they develop with a parent or caregiver," said Emily Weitz, behavioral health expert. "The caregiver serves as the child's foundation as they grow and change into mature adults. The caregiver's relationship with a child sets the stage for the child's future relationships." 

On Our Sleeves encourages parents and caregivers to have conversations with the children in their life about every topic imaginable, and talking about how much you love them is no different. By starting the conversation you can learn more about how your child experiences love, what they've learned from you about how to show love, and their perspective on what healthy love looks like.

how do I start a conversation with my child about love?

If you want to make sure the children that you love grow up to be resilient,  caring and successful adults you must talk to them!  Showing that we love and care about them is just one key to supporting their emotional growth and development. 

If you're wondering how to start the conversation about how you love and care as a parent or caregiver, we have some conversation starter cards to spark your inspiration.

You can also use these conversation-starting tips to learn how to have the best, most helpful conversation with your child. 

By having this conversation, you may be surprised to hear what your child sees and observes about love from you.

now that we've talked about love, what can I do to show my love?

Once you've had the conversation about love with your child, you may be wondering how to show your love more or continue to show you care. Here are a few ideas for how to connect with your child to continue building your bond and a foundation for health relationships in the future. 

Share affirmations

It’s important that the children we care about feel affirmed. Even if we know how much we love them, sometimes they need to hear those words and be reassured. Give words of affirmation by:   

• Get crafty by cutting out paper hearts. Gather the family and write something positive about each person on the cut-out hearts. (You can make the sweet messages last even longer by laminating them so you can write something new using dry-erase markers). Decorate your house with the loving words by placing the hearts on your doors, in the hallway, on the fridge on the bathroom mirror.  
• Use dinner time to share sweet messages of affirmations. Take time to go around the dinner table and have every member of the family share something positive about someone else or why they love the other person  

• Share with your child exactly what it is about them that you love and admire!

  • "You're making me so happy when you help me cook!"

  • "I love getting to be silly with you!"

  • "I really like the outfit you chose, you have great style!"

Connect through quality time 

We all feel great when someone chooses to spend time with us. Make a little extra effort to spend quality time with your child to let them know they’re loved! Here are some ideas to get you started:  

• Pick a craft that your child loves to do or is interested in making. Take some time out of your day to get creative with them and help them complete their craft. Show how proud you are by displaying the craft somewhere that everyone can see it! 
• Have a game day and get involved with playing their favorite game. Let them explain the rules and show you why they have so much fun playing. 
• Be involved in playtime. Whether it’s dolls, cars, or fake restaurants, carve out genuine time to connect through play. 
• Plan an outing to do something that your child likes to do. If you have more than one child, try to take them out individually for their own special day. 

free Valentine's Day card download to share your message of love

Use this free On Our Sleeves Kindness Card download to share a special message of kindness with your kids. Write a nice note about why you think they're so awesome and leave the card in a special place. You can also encourage your child to take some of these cards and give them to a friend, sibling, or another family member. Modeling love and care to your kids will help them to develop their own ways of spreading kindness to others. 

join the movement

We believe that no family should struggle alone in their journey with mental health. That's why we created the On Our Sleeves e-community. By joining the movement, you'll receive monthly free content and resources to help you support the mental wellness of children in your life and break the stigma surrounding mental health. 

Click here to join the movement today.