| The most important single ingredient in raising happy | | | | children are fascinated by looking into the eyes of |
| and successful children is the amount of love they | | | | someone who is looking at them with warmth, love |
| receive from their parents. Children need love like | | | | and affection. Try this with your children and you'll be |
| flowers need sunshine and rain. | | | | amazed at the impact that sustained, loving eye |
| You can never give a child too much love. The | | | | contact has when you give it to your children if they |
| continuous flow of love and approval from a parent to | | | | haven't experienced it before. |
| a child is the child's psychological lifeline to emotional | | | | 3. Physical contact is an important and powerful way |
| and physical health. Almost all problems with children | | | | to tell your children that you love them. Hugging and |
| stem back to the child's perception of not being fully | | | | kissing your children is the most wonderful way to |
| loved and accepted by his or her parents. | | | | convey to them through touch that you love and value |
| Lack of love whether it's real or imagined by the child | | | | them. Interestingly, studies have shown male and |
| can have serious consequences. It can lead to | | | | female infants are hugged about the same amount |
| physical, mental and emotional damage that can have | | | | during their first year, but after that females receive |
| long-term if not permanent negative consequences on | | | | much more hugging and kissing from parents than do |
| the entire life of the child. In fact most child | | | | boys. |
| psychologists and therapists agree that love | | | | The studies show just how harmful this is; boys who |
| deprivation is the most serious problem a child can | | | | receive little or no physical contact from their parents |
| suffer during his or her formative years. | | | | are more much more likely to grow-up feeling insecure, |
| The starting point of raising happy and successful | | | | unloved, lacking in self-confidence, and are much more |
| children is to give them a continuous unbroken flow of | | | | prone to aggressive behavior. On the other hand, boys |
| unconditional love and acceptance. A parent needs to | | | | who do receive a lot of hugging and kissing from their |
| always make it clear to his or her child that nothing the | | | | parents are much more likely to grow-up feeling |
| child does could ever cause him or her to love the child | | | | stronger, more masculine and self-confident. |
| less than 100 percent. | | | | 4. Focused attention is perhaps the most powerful |
| The most wonderful gift that a child can receive from | | | | way to tell a child that you love him or her. Focused |
| a parent is the firm knowledge that the parent loves | | | | attention is simply spending long stretches of unbroken |
| him or her totally no matter what he or she does and | | | | time with your child. Children need an opportunity to talk |
| no matter what happens. This is why many child | | | | with their parents, relate to them and just be with them |
| psychologists and therapists recommend that when | | | | while they're growing-up. There is no better way to |
| you discipline your child always start off by telling the | | | | build a close and loving relationship with your child than |
| child how much you love him or her and then get into | | | | to schedule long unbroken periods of time with your |
| the disciplinary action. You need to make it very clear | | | | child during which you can just be together. |
| that you are unhappy with the child's behavior but not | | | | Children need to communicate their thoughts and |
| with the child. It's important that the child understands | | | | feelings to someone who is important to them, and a |
| this completely. | | | | parent should be the most important person in their |
| Your child is always asking you in one way or another, | | | | lives. If their parents don't take the time to sit quietly |
| "Do you love me? Sometimes a child will misbehave | | | | and patiently and listen the child will begin to spend |
| on purpose as a way of checking as to whether or | | | | more and more time with his or her peer groups. |
| not you really love him or her. The older and more | | | | The greatest influence that a person can exert in a |
| mature children become the more subtle they are | | | | teenager's life is to be the primary source of love, |
| about how they ask the question, "Do you love me?" | | | | support, respect and affection for the child. Children |
| However, the question is always the same. | | | | who don't receive this love and support from their |
| There are four simple ways that parents can | | | | parents will tend to seek it elsewhere and the parent's |
| effectively make their love known to their children: | | | | influence will diminish dramatically |
| 1. You have to tell your children that you love them | | | | Perhaps the most important and enduring relationship |
| every day. You can never say "I love you" to a child | | | | you can ever enter into happens when you bring a |
| too often. Even if your child pretends that he or she | | | | child into this world. The impact of your parenting not |
| doesn't need to hear it, don't believe it. Every time a | | | | only affects your children, but it can also affect your |
| child hears the words, "I love you" from his or her | | | | children's children for generations. When you shower |
| parent the child feels more secure and free to be | | | | your children with a constant and continuous flow of |
| himself or herself. | | | | love and affection you are having a positive influence |
| 2. Tell your children you love them with eye contact. | | | | for generations to come. |
| Whenever you look at a child with loving eye contact | | | | Copyright©2007 by Joe Love and JLM & |
| you make the child feel wonderful about himself or | | | | Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. |
| herself. Studies show that from the age of 6 weeks | | | | |