The night before my son’s birthday I designed and posted several Happy Birthday signs throughout the house. I made sure the “It’s Your Special Day” plate was washed and set on the counter, ready for his breakfast meal. It was his birthday, after all, and I wanted him to feel special.
A quick mental survey of my efforts left me wondering, why didn’t I do more little things on ordinary days? I had a moment of clarity…How easy would it be, even just a few times a week, to do something small, yet meaningful, that would make my kids’ hearts soar?
I remember listening to Maya Angelou share a simple practice she used with her kids: whenever one of them came into a room for the first time, she would be sure to respond to them with great delight. It could be when they arose in the morning, when they came home from school or returned from a friend’s house. She seized the opportunity: she would stop what she was doing and lovingly acknowledge her children, so they would know what an amazing blessing they were to her, each and every day. She also noted for us parents, this was never the time to greet them with a comment on their mismatched or stained clothing, or their ruffled hair…but always a perfect time for a big hug and unconditional love.
Ideas abound if you’re searching for ways to melt your kids’ hearts. You can look online, get books from your library, or simply poll your own friends.
If you’re truly ambitious, check out, “The Five Love Languages of Children,” by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell, MD, to determine which little acts of love will have the greatest impact on each of your kids. (And, no, this isn’t recommended for blessing your husband; there’s an adult version of the Love Languages book for them.)
However you choose to sprinkle love into the lives of your children, this is surely a case where more is so much more. And the extra bonus is the joy which fills our hearts to overflowing as we see our children bask and glow in the gifts of love and adoration.
