6 Simple Ways to Make Your Children Feel Special

When you’re a parent, ensuring each of your children feels cherished can be a tricky balance. Implementing some simple ways to make your children feel special could really help manage your time and energy while making sure no child feels neglected.

It’s an effort well worth making. You can shape your child’s identity and provide them with a solid foundation for future self-worth and self-esteem by making them feel loved and unique. However, according to Laura Kauffman, Ph.D., a licensed child psychologist in Menlo Park, California, children without special relationships with their parents are more likely to act out as adults. These kids are less likely to cooperate with their parents and are more prone to act out in negative ways to get their parents’ attention, such as by fighting with their siblings or misbehaving at school.

Ultimately, as parents, we hope that our undivided attention, coupled with firm but fair rules and guidelines, will help our children learn to cope with the unavoidable gaps in our attention. They will learn to strike a balance between the moments when they have your undivided attention and the times when they don’t.

Tricky? Indeed, but it is not impossible. Here are six easy yet effective ways to treat your kids like royalty.

Easy Ways to Show Your Child They Are Important to You

1. Look them in the eye.

It’s tempting to think we can multitask and pay attention to your child and your work email, but doing so can convey that your youngster is less important. Stop what you’re doing and pay attention to your kid the next time they want to talk to you. Show your interest and attentiveness by asking a few pertinent questions. Say so if you’re too busy to respond immediately. You should follow up with your kid after asking them to wait while you finish up what you’re doing.

2. Undistracted time together is essential.

It’s not necessary to set up huge chunks of time; even ten minutes a day will do. Let your kid pick the activity, and if you can, switch off your phone or put it in another room so you can’t be tempted to check Facebook or YouTube.

3. Pose genuine inquiries.

Instead of asking your children the same old, “How was school?” demonstrate your interest in their life by asking them more specific questions. Ask them about the episode they just saw, the people they sat with at lunch, or their performance on the spelling test.

4. Establish cherished rituals.

Don’t feel obligated to build anything fancy; what matters most is that you get to spend some quality time together. Participate in Sunday morning pancake preparation with your youngster. Plan a special monthly outing where your child may look forward to getting a special treat and spending an hour at the playground. Bring your kid with you on your regular salon visit and remain for some mani-pedis. Observing rituals like this can do wonders for strengthening the bond between parents and children.

5. Love one another.

A bear hug before night or a peck on the cheek goes a long way toward making a child feel cherished. Is this not a “hugging” family? Make up a secret handshake or code word the kids enjoy using.

6. Do as they do and adore it.

Even if you’re not as pumped about the newest Nintendo Switch game as your kids are, showing that you share their passion for it is a wonderful way to show them how much they mean to you. Be receptive while they describe the inner workings of their Lego fortress and offer to lend a hand to encourage their interest. Dr. Kauffman argues that showing interest in your kids’ interests is a great way to show them you care and make them feel like you value them.

Meaningful articles you might like: The Importance of Apologizing to Your Children and How to Do It, Everything Parents Should Know About Ear Seeds for Children, 10 Interesting Family Activities to Engage in with Your Children