Showing Your Children Unconditional Love

“When you look into your mother’s eyes, you know that is the purest love you can find on this earth.” (Mitch Albom) – For One More Day

The quote from Mitch Albom’s book, For One More Day, makes an eloquent point about the importance of parents demonstrating unconditional love for their children. It has been said that parents are the only ones who are obligated to love their children, but, from the rest of the world, children must earn it. The take-away from this point of view is that children shouldn’t ever feel as though they are loved by the parents because their parents are obligated to do so by the very nature of the parent – child relationship. It’s also true that children should never be made to feel as though they must earn their parents’ love. Parental love for their children should be unconditional.

Because today’s families often lead such hectic, overscheduled lives, it sometimes becomes difficult for parents to find the time to connect or bond, in a meaningful way, with their children. The parent – child relationship and bonding time should always be a top priority. There are ways for parents to nurture this relationship and show their children unconditional love.

Parents should demonstrate their affection for their children by giving random, unexpected hugs. Hugs are an appropriate and wonderful way for parents to connect with their children on a physical level. Another effective way that parents can demonstrate to their children that they love them and think about them, even when they aren’t together, is to put notes in their children’s lunch box or back pack. Finding a nice note or smiley face is a fun surprise for children, especially small children. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that older children may find this embarrassing in front of their peers.

It’s also a loving gesture to leave a note on the child’s bathroom mirror. Most children start their day in the bathroom and will, in all likelihood, see the note. Seeing a loving note from a parent, no matter how old or young the child is, can create a good start to their day. Teenagers, in particular, often assess their images in the mirror and are often critical of what they see. Leaving notes that remind children of their assets, rather than their self-perceived flaws, is a loving way to build self-esteem. When children are told nice things first thing in the morning, they will definitely know they are loved. This is a particularly effective strategy for working parents who may not see their children before they leave for school.

Parents can also demonstrate love to their children by occasionally surprising them with a small gift when they don’t expect it. Children expect gifts on birthdays and Christmas, but getting a small token gift for no particular reason is a special loving surprise. With that being said, however, parents always should remember that the best gift they can give their children is the gift of their time. Make time for quality family togetherness.