“Actions speak louder than words” might be cliche, but it’s also so true. This is never more true than when it comes to trying to love our kids. Of course we should tell our kids that we love them. That goes without saying, if you’ll forgive the pun! We should express our love to our kids early and often. But we need to do more than just say it. We need to show them that we love them. I don’t want you to read this and feel overwhelmed, though. I get it. I’m a mom, too, and I know how this can feel like one more thing on our already overflowing plates. Here are some simple and creative ways to show love that won’t leave you exhausted and overwhelmed. Don’t miss out on a FREE printable to help you at the end of the post!

Words

You can’t find a much better source for the importance of loving others than the Bible. It is the ultimate guide for how to show love. God doesn’t usually beat around the bush, either. He makes it pretty clear just how important it is for us to tell our kids we love them. Proverbs 16:24 says, “Kind words are like honey – sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” (NLT) If you want to help your kids to grow into strong, healthy adults, you need to intentionally use your words to express your love. Saying “I love you” is a start, but you can get so much more creative than that.

Mirror

Run to the store (or pop onto Amazon if you’re busy like me) and buy some dry erase markers. Write a little something on your kids’ mirror to make them smile. It could be a quick “Good morning”, a Bible verse, or even a family inside joke. It’s a quick and inexpensive way to show your kids that you’re thinking of them. I even leave mirror messages for my husband!

Jar

Maybe your family isn’t into more public displays of love. Perhaps you’d like to leave a note with more than a few quick words. Whatever your reason, having a jar or a ‘mailbox’ of some sort where you can leave little notes for your kids is a great way to tell them you love them. Grab a couple of old jam jars and label them with your kids’ names. Put them somewhere your kids can easily reach and let them know that you’ll be leaving them notes in there from time to time.

Journal

Do you prefer the back and forth of a conversation? Are you looking for something that you can look back on with a bit of nostalgia as your kids grow? A shared journal could be a great option for you. You can make this as simple or as fancy as you want. Grab any notebook (spiral, composition, fancy journal, whatever) and turn it into a “Mommy & Me” journal. If your kids are teens you might have to call it something ‘cooler’ than that (my teens would definitely roll my eyes if I called it that), but either way it’s a journal that will let you write notes back and forth to each other.

Time

Imagine if you had someone who you thought was a friend, but that person never wanted to hang out, or talk, or spend any real time with you. That relationship would fizzle out pretty quickly. In order to show someone we love them we have to actually be around them and choose to spend time with them. This goes doubly so for our kids who can easily start to feel like nothing more than an obligation. Even so, what are you supposed to actually *do*, because you want it to be fun for them but also fun for you!

Playing

I don’t know about you, but open-ended sessions of ‘playing dolls’ is just not my cup of tea. As an adult it can be hard to follow along with exactly how our kids want us to play, and that’s not even factoring the fun in getting up after a half hour on the floor! So, how can you play with your kids and let everyone have fun? Games! Find a game everyone enjoys. Board games, card games, video games, sports, whatever it is you enjoy as a family. Just find something you all like and play it together.

Watching

What can you guys watch together? Finding a show or a movie you can enjoy together as a family creates common ground while also giving you valuable quality time with your kids. At my house we love Bluey (yes, even the adults love it), and the Jane Doe mystery movies from the early 2000s. For your family it might be VeggieTales or Marvel movies. Pick a show (or a movie), curl up with a good snack, and enjoy your time together. As an added bonus, it might even get quiet in your house for a little while!

Doing

Letting your kid be your ‘helper’ for the day (or for however long works for you) is a great way to show your kids you care. Think of it like being chosen to be the ‘line leader’ at school. You felt so special when you were chosen. At home you can choose a kid to help you bake or cook something with you. You could also let that kid help you with a craft, or even run errands with you. When your kids feel chosen, they feel loved and wanted.

Gestures

If you’ve ever watched a romcom you’ve seen great examples of grand romantic gestures. Those things the men (at least it’s usually the guys) do to try to convince the women of their love. Gestures aren’t just a way to show romantic love, though. They are a great way for us to show our kids that we love them. Just skip over the mushy Hallmark cards and focus on making your kids feel cherished.

Celebrate

Society loves to celebrate big wins. We have parades for Super Bowl champions, awards show after awards show to celebrate winning actors, and end of the year celebrations to applaud the highest performers at school and work. Celebrating the big wins is all well and good, but what about the little wins? What would it do for your child if you celebrated getting his math worksheet done on time, or finishing her race (even if she didn’t win)? How cherished would your kids feel if sometimes you celebrated getting out the door almost on time when you’re normally running super late? They might just learn that recognizing effort is just as important as recognizing the outcome!

Scrapbook

Have you ever thought about making a scrapbook for your kids? Some sort of record for them of the reasons you love them, their talents, their successes, etc. It doesn’t have to be anything big or fancy. You could even use a free site like Canva to build a digital version.  Taking time here and there to put together a scrapbook of your children’s lives is a gesture that will show them how much you care. I still treasure the one my mother gave me for my 18th birthday.

Surprise

How much do you love it when your husband just shows up with your favorite ice cream, a Starbucks, or a bouquet of flowers? It feels great because it tells you he thought about you and made an effort to do something you would like. The same goes for our kids. They love getting little surprises, too. The next time you’re at the store, pick up a book, a game, or a candy bar. Grab something that you know will make your kids smile.

Have Fun While You Love Your Kids

The desire to be known and loved are the most basic human desires there are. In fact, they are more than desires. They are absolute needs. Our kids don’t just want to know we love them, they need to know it. Kids who feel loved will not only be happier children, they will be more loving and successful as adults. What we do as parents matters! The good news is that it doesn’t have to be anything major. It’s not all about grand gestures or expensive trips. The small daily actions and words of love are what our kids need the most.  

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