Teach your children how to love.

Love is a universal feeling; all living organisms on this earth even plants and animals feel it. There is no exact way to describe the feeling of love; it is characterized by a sense of attachment and affection towards somebody or something. Love is important in our lives as it satisfies ones emotional needs. Teach your children how to love.

Growing your child in a loving and affectionate household, teaches them the importance of giving and receiving genuine love. Some parents think that their child knew about the parents love towards them so there was no need to say, “I love you” or show affection. Children are naturally loving and generous, but if you want those sentiments to last, they need to be loved. It is surprising that parents love their children but fail to say the phrase “I love you”.

Demonstrate your love and affection for your family. Kiss and hug your spouse in front of children. Let the children know about how much you love and appreciate the other family members like their grandparents, uncles and aunts. Create a photo album of family members and friends. Sit and watch the album with family and remind your child that there are lots of people who care for them. You can also save photos in your TV, Laptop and other such devices to sit back and enjoy the slide show. Also don’t let a day pass without expressing your love for your child. The more you express your love and affection towards the child, the more your child will love you back and the more your home will be filled with love and affection.

Teach your children to think of others. If you see a homeless man on the roadside, buy some food and ask your child to give the food to him. Children generally do not care for the feelings or desires of others. They might not even think that they could help a homeless man. It is best if we point out ways that they can help others.

Expose your children to practice ‘social behaviours. Take them to Parks to play, to your friends home, marketplaces, or shopping groceries. Greet everyone you meet and talk nicely to them, may them be Gardner, Park caretaker, Grocery vendor or a Security guard, and teach your child to greet them too. Teach him to be kind, give compliments, and be empathetic and being non-judgmental. Your child should get the straight message to treat everyone equally.

Teach your children how to smile; it is the first gesture that you can give to express your love. One smile can make the world beautiful. A smile can release stress, calm you down, make you attractive. It can make someone else happy and can actually cause happiness. Even science has proved that animals can sense and understand your smile.

Parents should avoid gossiping about others in front of their children. Gossip is so damaging that listening to it our children starts judging others. Children will also start worrying that others will also judge them harshly and the fear of being judged will stop them to love others. So be aware of that and try to make a gossip-free household.

Teach them to love nature from a young age. Encourage them to play in the garden and observe everything. Point out the names of trees, insects, birds, and animals to them. Involve children in Gardening, take them to Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks, teach them to value nature. Getting your children to love nature will help them become responsible citizens.

”Love is a wonderful value to begin teaching your child from the start of the journey of building character.”