Parenting Tip #2
Three Little Words

Can you say "I love you" to your children too often? Think about the importance of hearing these words as others express their feelings for you and realize the importance for a child to hear this every day.

Why is saying "I love you" so important to your child?

• It helps the child develop self respect: Self respect and the ability to develop an emotional relationship with others depends on the way parents express love and respect for their children. These expressions of love begin as the parent child bond develops and teach the child how very important they are to the parent and to the world.
• When paired with loving actions, it shows the child how to express feelings: A hug, a smile and a sincere "I love you" should be part of every child's day. Remember the hug and smile as you express these important words for children. Body language is understood by the youngest child and confirms the importance of love. Stressful events may prevent parents from expressing love to their children. Spend a few seconds looking at the child and find something good about this child to celebrate.
• It makes the child feel special and encourages parent/child communication: If possible, spend a few minutes each day with each individual child showing how important they are to you by playing with the child. This time should be spent doing something of interest to the child. Ideas include peek-a-boo with the young child, pretend with the 3 year old, playing school with the 5 year old and a game with older children. This special child-centered time confirms his/her importance to the parent. This special time also helps develop the connection which encourages children to communicate with parents throughout their lives.

I love you, I love you, I love you -

three magic words, use them daily!