Want some creative and easy ways to make your child feel loved and valued? Try one of these fun ideas for how to make kids feel special, and let your children know that you think they’re awesome!
Let’s face it… as Moms, we’re probably all really busy.
Between working a full or part-time job, keeping up with the housework, the endless need to clean EVERYTHING, cooking about 62 meals a week, and chauffeuring kids all over town, it can be difficult to actually have the time to focus on the emotional needs of your child, rather than just the physical needs.
Yes, they need to eat…
Yes, they need to bathe…
Yes, they need to be tucked in at night.
But, kids also need to feel loved. They need to feel like they’re special. And they need to feel like a priority.
And I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not perfect at showing my babies just how thankful I am for them.
Yes, it’s true… I have THE BEST kids! I tell everyone about how well behaved, kind, polite, responsible, and independent they are…
But that got me thinking… how often do I actually tell them that?
If you’re wondering the same thing now, then here are a few easy ways to make your child feel loved and valued.
Ways to Make Your Kids Feel Special and Loved:
1. Come up with a secret “handshake”.
I know… you’re probably thinking I’ve lost my marbles. (My husband thinks I never had them!). 🙂
“But, Amy, when do you shake your kids’ hands?“
Well, my “handshake” with my 7 year old daughter actually isn’t a handshake. It’s our night-night hug and kiss routine, which is more like a choreographed number. It goes like this…
After we say our prayer she pretends to zip up my mouth, lock it, and then put the key in her pretend pocket (there’s not talking during the night-night hug and kiss routine!). Then, we hug, say “Ugga mugga” (from Daniel Tiger) while we’re doing an eskimo kiss (rubbing noses), kiss on the lips, kiss on the cheek, another kiss on the lips, another hug, and then she gets the key out of her pocket to unlock my mouth.
That’s our form of a secret “handshake”, and we do it every single night at bedtime. Don’t tell her I told you our secret… (wink wink).
Come up with your own little sequence for when you tuck your kids in at night, or when you drop them off at school. It’s a fun and super easy way to make your child feel loved and valued.
2. Schedule a small treat.
My kids know that the final school bell on Friday can only mean one thing… Friday Treat!
About 3 years ago, I started taking them out for a small, sweet treat every Friday after school. It was originally a way to reward my oldest daughter (the only one in school at the time) for getting a 100 on her spelling test.
Turns out… she’s really smart, and she got a 100 every single week. So we got a Friday Treat. Every. Single. Week. And it just kind of stuck.
Now it’s turned into our Friday tradition and it’s something that we all look forward to. And it’s one of the easiest ways to make your kids feel special, and to reward them for having a great week.
But remember, a “Friday Treat” doesn’t have to be expensive. Sometimes we head to Sonic for half-price slushes or Dunkin Donuts for a donut. For my kids, it’s more about the experience of being able to go out and get a special treat together. And a dollar donut is a lot less expensive than going to Target and buying them a toy.
3. Make a special breakfast once a week.
Make your kids feel special by deviating from the normal cereal breakfast once a week and whipping them up a special breakfast.
On Wednesdays, my husband and I are both home in the mornings because it’s his day off. So, we make a big fuss about preparing a special breakfast for our kids every Wednesday.
It’s usually french toast or these Best Ever Mini Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Muffin Mix, and I even serve them with sprinkles on top.
This is just a small way that I can show my kids that I love them. As in, we love you so much that we’re willing to wake up early and dirty up the kitchen once a week for you. 🙂
4. Wake them up with a song and dance number.
Yes, I’m that goofy Mom that comes into my daughters’ rooms at 6:30am singing “Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory”. Why?
Because why not start your day with a joyful song, right?! It’s much nicer than rushing in your kids’ rooms, throwing their covers off, and literally dragging them out of bed.
Yes, they do tend to roll their eyes when I barge through the door in song, but I know that they secretly love it.
5. Trust kids with an important job to make them feel special.
Sometimes kids don’t want anything sweet or even tangible, they just want to help you around the house and to feel a sense of independence.
Let your kids know that you think they’re responsible and capable by letting them help out with an important job. Even if you’re a bit OCD and would just rather do it yourself because it’s more efficient and it will get done exactly how you like it.
My daughters, ages 7 and 9, make their own school lunches every night. The only thing that I do for them is peel and cut veggies. They make their own sandwiches, portion out their own ranch dressing cups for their vegetables, choose their own fruits, and pack their own lunchboxes. They are responsible for making sure that they pack themselves a well-balanced meal and the proper utensils. (Of course, I check to make sure that they don’t pack 36 desserts).
They LOVE packing their own lunches, and it’s a HUGE help for me. So it’s a win-win.
My 7 year old also makes her own bed perfectly every single morning. Yes, that’s her bed… and, yes, she made it 100% by herself. She loves making her bed up nice and pretty each morning, and I love it too!
How does she do it? Go here to find out!
6. Allow extra time for tuck-in.
Don’t rush through your kids’ bedtime routines so that you can get back to dishes or laundry or The Bachelor. Allow enough time to spend precious moments with your kids while you’re tucking them in each night.
Read them a book, let them talk about their days, say a special prayer, or just snuggle with them for a few extra minutes. Time is probably your most valuable asset as a busy Momma, and chances are your kids know that.
Make your child feel loved and valued by sharing your most valuable asset with them.
7. Send them surprise lunchbox notes.
Lunchbox notes are another one of the easiest ways to make kids feel special and to give them a little special surprise at lunch time.
When I was a preschool teacher, one of my students would always have a fun and interesting fact written on his napkin. It was really cool to learn a new tidbit of information about Jupiter or the rainforest each day at lunch. And his Mom was a rockstar for taking the time to look up fun trivia and draw cool pictures on his napkins each day.
If you want to try out this easy way to show your kids love but you need a quicker option, then head over to Simple Mom Project and print out these FREE lunchbox notes.
Just print, cut, and stick ’em in your kids’ lunchboxes to make them feel special at lunchtime.
Or, if you’re super lazy (no judgement!), you can just write a sweet note on their ziploc bag or even on the skin of their banana or orange. This is one of the easiest ways to make your child feel loved and valued.
8. Celebrate your child’s half birthday.
Who says that kids just get to feel extra special and be the center of attention just one day a year?
Celebrate your kids’ half birthdays and give them a bonus birthday each year! Pull out all the stops and plan a mini party with family, buy a few presents, and even make a half birthday cake like this one from Celebrating Sweets:
It’s a half-cake for a half birthday! Get it?!
My Mom used to do this for us when we were kids, and I think it’s an awesome way to show your kids love!
9. Interview your kids to make them feel special.
Kids have a voice. And they want to be heard!
That’s probably why kids will tell you the same thing 52,000 times in a row if you aren’t paying attention to them.
So to make your child feel loved and valued, try a one-on-one interview. Micah from Home Faith Family has four kiddos under the age of six, and she sits down with each of her babies once a week to conduct a mini interview. She discusses any concerns her kids might have, answers their questions, and just generally makes sure that they feel heard.
I LOVE this idea! Think about the people that typically get interviewed… they’re usually celebrities, politicians, famous athletes, or VIPs.
So why not interview your kids to make them feel valued and give them the VIP treatment?! Plus, just sitting down and talking to kids is a great way to show them that you value what they have to say.
10. Recognize your kids when they do something great.
Your kids are probably really GREAT! At least most of the time. 🙂 So recognize their good behaviors, and make a big deal of their accomplishments.
If they do well on a big test at school, congratulate them! If you catch them using great manners, then praise them for it. Don’t take your child for granted, and let them know that you are proud of them.
One easy way to recognize your child’s polite and kind behavior is with a Kindness Chart… And I’ve got one that you can print for FREE!
When you see your child being especially kind (holding the door open for someone, sharing their last piece of candy with a sibling, etc), check off a space on their Kindness Chart. Then, when they fill their chart, let them pick out a small prize.
This is a great (and super cheap) way to recognize good behavior and to make your child feel loved and valued.
Want to grab your FREE Kindness Charts? When you sign up for my FREE email list, you’ll get the password to my entire FREEBIES library as a gift! Just use the form below:
11. Eat lunch with your kids at school to show them that they’re loved.
Yes, I know… the school day is your time to catch up on housework, run errands, or maybe sneak in a nap. But every now and then you can give up some of your “Mommy time” to enjoy a lunch date with your kids at school.
My kids absolutely LOVE when I come to eat lunch with them at school. Their school even has special picnic tables outside and a “Parent Cafe” for when parents and grandparents come for a mini lunch date.
You have to eat lunch anyway, right? Why not head to school for lunch to make your child feel loved and valued?
12. Plan fun and creative activities to do together to make your child feel loved and valued.
Come up with unique and fun activities that you can do with your kids to make them feel special.
Plan a decorate-your-own-cupcake night or go for a mini exploration around your neighborhood with a free printable scavenger hunt!
13. Show interest in their interests to make kids feel special.
Yes, I know… you secretly have no desire to learn the inner workings of Minecraft, and you have absolutely NO idea what manga drawing is.
But if your kids love it, you can at least show an interest in it.
When your 9 year old daughter wants to show you the 15 manga drawings that she did in her sketchbook, put your phone down and actually take a look. Ask thoughtful questions about what kind of markers she used, or offer to search the internet with her for how to get rid of eraser marks.
Bonding with your kids over the things that they enjoy is a great way to make your child feel loved and special.
How do you make your child feel loved and valued?
I love hearing stories from other Moms about what works for them!
How do you show your child love? What works for you? What are your favorite fun and creative ways to make your child feel special?
Leave me a comment below and let’s help out some fellow Mommas!
And if you loved this post, then check out these other posts on parenting:
Comments & Reviews
I LOVE the half birthday idea. I just googled a half birthday calculator and stored my two girls days in my phone. So excited to make that cake!
Yes Samantha! That was one of my favorite things that my Mom did for us when we were little. And now, I LOVE doing it for my girls. Plus, who doesn’t love an excuse to eat cake, am I right?! Thanks for your comment! 🙂