60 phrases that every parent must say to their child in order to raise a happy and caring person. These phrases can really do magic; they will teach your child how to love and be loved, be confident, share happiness and joy with others, and value what they have.

Say to them:

1. ’I love you.’
2. ’I love you no matter what.’
3. ’I love you even when you’re angry with me.’
4. ’I love you even when I’m angry with you.’
5. ’I love you even when you are away from me. My love is always with you.’
6. ’If I could choose any child in the world, I would still choose you.’
7. ’I love you so much you can’t even imagine.’
8. ’Thank you.’
9. ’I had fun playing with you today.’
10. ’My favorite memory of the day was when we were doing something together.’

Tell them:

11. …the story of their birth or adoption.
12. …how much you loved to cuddle with them, kiss them, and hug them when they were little.
13. …how you chose their name.
14. …stories about yourself at their age.
15. …stories of how their parents and grandparents met.
16. …about your favorite colors.
17. …that sometimes you face difficulties too.
18. …that you have a secret code that works like this: when you hold them by the hand and gently squeeze it three times, it means ‘I love you.’
19. …about your plans for the future.
20. …about your current job or any other activity you’re involved in.

Listen:

21. …to what your child says when you’re driving.
22. …to what your child says about his or her toys, and try to understand how important they are for them.
23. …to any question they ask and problem they describe. Some can be really hard for your child to solve without your help.
24. …to what they say at least one second longer than what it takes before you get tired of their chattering. Pay attention.
25. …to what they say and try to understand what feelings are behind those words.

Ask questions like:

26. Why do you think this happened?
27. What do you think will happen if…?
28. How can we find that out?
29. What are you thinking about?
30. What is your favorite memory of the day?
31. What do you think that tastes like?

Teach them and show them:

32. …how to do something, rather than forbidding them to do that.
33. …how to whistle.
34. …how to shuffle cards.
35. …how to cut/slice/chop food.
36. …how to fold the laundry.
37. …how to search for information when you don’t know the answer.
38. …how much you love their mother/father.
39. …how to take care of themselves and stay in good shape.

Arrange you schedule so you can:

40. …watch construction sites together.
41. …look at birds.
42. …cook together.
43. …go outside and visit your favorite places together.
44. …play together on the playground.
45. …spend as much time doing something together that your kid needs without rushing them.
46. …just sit there while they’re playing.

Make every day special:

47. Make a little surprise for your kid.
48. Put some chocolate in their pancakes.
49. When serving food, shape it into a smiley face.
50. Sit on the floor and play together.

Get rid of…:

51. …guilty thoughts.
52. …your thoughts on how things should be.
53. …your need to always be right.

Try these:

54. Look at your child with kindness and love.
55. Smile at them when they enter the room.
56. Respond with tenderness every time your child touches you.
57. Before saying something (or correcting them), make sure you have good eye contact so that your child really listens to what you’re saying.
58. Let your child cope with his or her frustration (anger, disappointment) before helping him or her.
59. Give him or her a bath at the end of a long day.
60. Choose your favorite way to express love to your child.
Author: Elena Makarenko
Source: health.mail
Preview photo credit: Denys Ilin