How do you think your child feels when you have called him/her a hurtful name?  Hearing  labels hurled at him, a child starts to believe them.   Abusive insults chips away at a childs self esteem and makes them think and feel that they are unloved and unwanted.   Make it a point to tell your child daily how very special he/she is.  Let him know that having him in your life makes you glad you are you. 

Children are smart and wise beyond their years but, they are not mind readers.   A child is able to feel your love when you hug them and kiss their sweet faces.  In spite of these acts of love they still need to hear the words ‘I love you’.  These three words, that are so simple to say and mean everything to a child, are so difficult for some.  When a child misses hearing those words at an early age an emptiness lingers even as adults.  Because knowing that you are loved carries so much importance in ones life, those who rarely heard ‘I love you’ can remember the day, the circumstances, even the date, that they heard it from a parent.  Let your child know that you love him/her – start weaving the thread of love.  Say ‘I love you’ today and everyday so that your child will know without a shadow of a doubt how much he/she is loved. 

Wherever you look these days people are in a hurry going from one priority to another.  How many priorities can a person have and just how important a priority is it really?  For parents who have one or several children, trying to decide how to balance daily demands and  attend to priorities can be stressful.  Knowing exactly what your priorities are help make deciding how to handle them the biggest hurdle to overcome.  Putting less important matters ahead of a priority concerning your child adds to your stress.  By being able to prioritze what is and isn’t important you feel more in control of your life and better able to deal with the situation at hand.  A child knows when a parent is relaxed and taking the reins of a situation.  It is moments like this that a child feels  safe, protected and loved.  Know what your priorities are and put the less important ones off for the moment.  Show your  child that he/she is the most important person in your life and that you are willing to put everything else aside for him/her. 

As children learn to manuver their way around beginning with crawling and then taking their first steps parents praise them with wild applause and proud words of encouragement.  But each new accomplishment in a childs life is worthy of the same praise as their first steps which will help build their confidence and self esteem.  Small successes lead to big ones and as a childs pride grows, your expressions of love and support lets him know that you are right there with him.   This connection lasts a lifetime and, like a  priceless heirloom, will be passed to future generations.  

Children will ask the same questions repeatedly and because parents have already answered the question once they tend to ignore their child the second and third time around.  The child is not always asking the question becaue she is curious about the answer, but rather looking for attention.  Showing your child that you are interested in what he/she has to say and giving your undivided attention lets your child know that you love and consider him/her the most important person in the world by looking them in the eye and taking a moment to listen to what they have to say.  This small gesture of respect goes a long way in building self esteem and confidence in your child.  Start listening to your child – you will be amazed at how much you can learn. 

The act of talking can mean telling someone your thoughts and opinions, listening to their comments, responding with a question, listening, commenting and asking more questions.  The result of conversing is a better understanding of how that person looks at life and interprets it.  Hearing someone else’s way of looking at a situation from a completely different perspective can open your mind to others opinions.  Begin exploring avenues of conversation with your child that will open your mind to how he thinks and feels.  As you begin to talk and learn more about each other the conversations will become an important part of each day – a good time to let your child know how much he is loved. 

As each day passes ask yourself if you have spent your time wisely.   There are so many demands on each of us that it is easy to let time get away from us and before you know it you feel frustrated at having lost or wasted precious opportunities.  Make time for your children becuase time spent with them is always time spent wisely.  Give them your undivided attention away from phones, TV, computers and other distractions.  Make them know how important they are to you and because you love and care about them all the others can wait.  They will remember these moments and you will too. 

Sometimes all that is needed to give a child reassurance of your love is the touch of your hand on his hand or the caress of his cheek.  These simple gestures say it all – I love you – without a word being spoken.   Make loving words and gestures a daily part of communication with your child that will leave lifelong feelings of contentment instead of harsh words or a raised hand that are hurtful and sting for years to come.

One of the most frightening days in a parents life is the day that they bring this tiny bundle home to care for, feed, cloth and LOVE.  This can be an overwhelming feeling thinking about the responsibility the job of caring for, feeding and clothing entails.  But the one thing that looms above all the rest and makes the job so easy is the love you feel for your child.  The joy that comes from sharing your love from the very beginning of your childs life builds a deep and lasting feeling of trust and respect that he will then pass on to his own child.  The ‘thread of love’ should be strong, unbreakable and never ending.   If you were writing a parenting manual what one tip would you give to new parents? 

The language of love is spoken in all dialects.   Unlike other languages it is not taught at school or by correspondence or at a certain grade level.  It is taught from the beginning of life by the first teachers in our lives, our parents, grandparents and loved ones.  Hearing the words ‘I love you’ is the first lesson in learning to speak the language of love.  Children who miss hearing these loving words find it difficult, even impossible,  as adults to express the loving feelings in their heart to those they love.  Make each day of a childs life a day of hearing and feeling how much you love them.  They learn fast and so begins the pleasurable journey that the language of love brings from childhood into adulthood.   Make everyday Valentine’s Day – start speaking the language of love today by saying ‘I love you’ in any dialect.  How do you speak the language of love?