Everyone wants to feel loved, especially children. As a parent, older sibling, babysitter, aunt, uncle, or whatever, you may feel the need to show a child how much you love them. And it's always helpful to make a developing kid feel loved. Try some of the following to implant love into any child.
1Tell them you love them. This maybe seem obvious and redundant, but if you repeatedly tell a child you love them, it will become set in stone, and they will never forget it. Tell them you love them when they do something good, bad, interesting, funny, adorable, or just randomly. No time is a bad time to tell your child you love them.
- NOTE: It's a good idea to tell the child you love them while scolding them, if you're mad, or if they're in trouble. A child can easily feel less loved when they are getting scolded at.
2Hold them. Holding a child makes them feel comfortable and less afraid, and it's a perfect way to show them how much you care. Brush their hair back, rock them back and forth, and repeat step one often.
3Gain interest in the things they like. If you show them that you're interested in the things they like, they'll feel appreciated, cared for, and loved. Remember what they do, show it to people you know, and make a big deal out of it. If your child shows you a picture they painted, hang it on the fridge for everyone to see and tell the child how amazing it is and how proud you are of them.
- NOTE: If you cannot become interested in the things they do, at least pretend you're interested. Children who do not feel appreciated can become depressed or scared to engage in new tasks, or they may give up the things they like because no one cares. Show them you care!
4Let them be themselves. If you try to control everything they do, they'll get the impression that you hate who they truly are. If they want to be something, let them! Let their imagination run wild. The more you show that you love the person they are inside, the more they will understand that they are appreciated and loved.
5Don't put them down; bring them up. Putting a child down about their creativity, intellect, or anything else makes them hate who they are. Bringing them up will make them proud to be them.
6Set guidelines, and stick with them. If you skimp off keeping your guidelines and rules kept, kids may feel like they can get away with anything. They'll one-up you every chance they get. Loyalty with your rules in a nice way will show the child that you respect them and care for their safety.
7Don't give all of your attention to one child (if there is more than one). Focusing on just one child shows that you're playing favorites; one child will feel less loved than the other, and this can create conflict. Share the time with both.Ad
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- Don't make your love seem like a way for the kid to boss you around. Be strict (but not too strict!) and consistent with rules.