There are four simple ways that parents can effectively make their love known to their children:

1. You have to tell your children that you love them every day. You can never say “I love you” to a child too often. Even if your child pretends that he or she doesn’t need to hear it, don’t believe it. Every time a child hears the words, “I love you” from his or her parent the child feels more secure and free to be himself or herself.

2. Tell your children you love them with eye contact. Whenever you look at a child with loving eye contact you make the child feel wonderful about himself or herself. Studies show that from the age of 6 weeks children are fascinated by looking into the eyes of someone who is looking at them with warmth, love and affection. Try this with your children and you’ll be amazed at the impact that sustained, loving eye contact has when you give it to your children if they haven’t experienced it before.

3. Physical contact is an important and powerful way to tell your children that you love them. Hugging and kissing your children is the most wonderful way to convey to them through touch that you love and value them. Interestingly, studies have shown male and female infants are hugged about the same amount during their first year, but after that females receive much more hugging and kissing from parents than do boys.

4. Focused attention is perhaps the most powerful way to tell a child that you love him or her. Focused attention is simply spending long stretches of unbroken time with your child. Children need an opportunity to talk with their parents, relate to them and just be with them while they’re growing-up. There is no better way to build a close and loving relationship with your child than to schedule long unbroken periods of time with your child during which you can just be together.