Home » Dad » How to...: be romantic, make your house babyproof, and much more! » …say I love you to your child
- Use eye contact. When you say ‘I love you’, look your child in the eye. Anything you say becomes meaningful if you make eye contact, from the youngest age. It will help you bond.
- Touch. Touch is magic. Be generous with hugs, pats on the back, a gentle touch of the face when you spend time with your child.
- Use names. The best for any pair of ears: hearing your own name. Names make whatever you say very personal. Names establish a connection. Give your ‘I love you’ a boost by adding your child’s name.
- Add non-verbal signals to what you say. A friendly face and a smile reinforce your expression of love. Turn your entire body to face your child to not only sound but look sincere.
- Express your love without condition. Do not use words like ‘when’ when you say ‘I love you’. “I love you when you when you are so cheerful’ may be heard as ‘I only love you when…’, which creates a sense of fear.
- Don’t use the word ‘but’. The use of the word ‘but’ often indicates a problem, a concern or frustration. It takes away all of the magic of your expression of love. A child will feel that it is a warm-up before the real message comes.
- Say ‘I love you’ at unexpected times. The best is to receive an expression of love when you don’t expect it. Don’t only say it when you go out the door to go to work. Say it at unexpected times, while driving, when bathing, during dinner.