Valentine’s Day can easily become about baskets, chocolates, and tiny toys, but what our children really want is to feel deeply known, cherished, and loved.
Research shows that a meaningful parent–child connection is linked to children’s emotional well-being, resilience, and self-esteem.
This Valentine’s Day, let’s go beyond the glitter and focus on moments and words that whisper “You are loved, truly.”
1. Look Them in the Eyes and Say Their Name Slowly
When you call your child with full attention, eye contact, soft voice, and no rush, it tells their heart they matter deeply to you.
2. Tell Them What You Love About Who They Are
“I love how curious you are,” “I love how you make others laugh.” Specific, genuine praise tells a child you see them, not just what they do.
3. Ask Them What Makes Them Feel Loved
And really listen. Some kids feel love through words, others through hugs, play, or quiet time together. Let them teach you their love language.
4. Give Them a Memory, Not a Thing
Pick an experience, a walk, a snack picnic, or a song dance, and be fully present. Kids remember connected moments far longer than objects.
5. Write a Little Love Note and Hide It Somewhere for Them to Find
Tuck a heart-shaped note in a lunch, a backpack pocket, or under a pillow. A tiny surprise says, “I was thinking about you.”
6. Say “I Love You” in the Middle of Something
Not just at bedtime or goodbye, drop it in during everyday life. In the middle of a laugh, a chore, or a story, it feels like a warm hug through their whole day.
7. Affection Without Agenda
A random hug, shoulder squeeze, or sitting close on the couch, with no performance or asking anything back, is just closeness.
8. Tell Them You’re Proud of Them, Not Just Their Efforts
It’s one thing to celebrate hard work, it’s another to celebrate their spirit, their kindness, perseverance, joy, or vulnerability.
9. Ask “What Do You Need From Me Right Now?”
Even little kids can answer this. It teaches them that their needs matter, and that love listens and responds.
10. End the Day with “Today I Felt Loved Because…”
Share your answer first, then prompt them. This helps kids name love and feel it deeply.
💗 A Must-Read Little Twist 💗
Now, take a moment to read this list again, this time to yourself. We pour so much love into our kids, yet often forget to speak that same kindness and grace to ourselves.
