Showing your kids you love them: It’s How You Say Hello
Welcome to Mom-Monday (vol. 9).
I’m glad you’re here!
I’ve been travelling again this week, so I’m putting up a previous post about showing your kids how much you love them.
Sometimes, that can be as simple as how you say hello.
It’s How You Say Hello…
The other day I took my kids to the gym with me. When I went to pick them up from the play area after I’d finished working out, I passed the window to the room that they were in.
My daughter saw me through the glass, jumped up, and waved.
And when I opened the door, she was standing at the front desk, smiling. “Mommy!” she said, hugging me tight.
I’d only been “gone” for an hour, but by the way she acted, you’d guess it had been a week.
Her sweet greeting seriously melted my heart. And it made me think…
How do I say hello to her?
I thought about the morning before, when I woke her up with a quick kiss on the forehead, then launched into a very rushed, “Don’t take too long getting ready because it’s our day to carpool. And you need to clean your room before we leave. It looks like a tornado came through here.”
I thought about when I’d picked my kids up from school that day, too. We’d walked through the park, passing others who were playing on the swings and buying ice-cream from the ice-cream truck. I shuffled my kids along, reminding them to hurry because we had to get to basketball. I barely registered their disappointed faces when I told them we didn’t have time for ice-cream.
And now I’m thinking I need to be more aware of this greeting thing.
Because I want to make sure when I say hi to my kids, or to my husband, or to anyone, I’m doing it in a way that really acknowledges them. And I want to give the kind of greeting that focuses on that moment, not all of the things on the schedule ahead.
I truly appreciated how my daughter made me feel that day at the gym. And I appreciated the reminder to slow down and take the time to make my kids feel special.
Because I want them to know how much I love them.
With every single hello.
What do you think? Do you find yourself getting caught up in the schedule, forgetting how your interactions with your kids make them feel? What are some of the things you do to let your kids know how much you love them?
If you haven’t already, leave your URL in the link list below, so other moms can stop by your site and say hi. It’s a simple way for moms to come alongside other moms.
I can totally relate to this post. I know there are some days when I wake up on the wrong side of the bed and it can set the mood for the whole day. My kids deserve to be greeted with a cheery smile…not a grumpy frown. The busy-ness of life can certainly interfere sometimes! Good reminder:)
Great thoughts. Also makes me wonder why we aren't naturally and spontaneoulsy happy when we see the people we love. What lies are we believing that would make them less enjoyed and anticipated?
I have been very aware of this for a few years now…I saw something on Oprah of all places, and the basic idea was your children read their importance based on the way you react when they enter the room. Ever since I heard that, I have made a big point to be extra lovey with them in the mornings when they wake up, and when they get home from school. (And that can be difficult when they're oh-so-cranky, but I do it anyway!)This is a great post, and Sande's comment is a good one to ponder, too.
I love this post! I'm actually an exuberant greeter in the morning. As the day goes by, as I get tireder and grumpier, I calm down. LOLThis is a wonderful reminder. Thank you!I like to make them feel good by looking them right in the eyes, telling them I love them, and then squealing and hugging them. LOL Boys like loud noise. Heeheee.I could def. work on this hello thing though. :-) Thank you!
Sande's comment is making me think too.
Casey's trio – I do the same thing sometimes. It's amazing how, as moms, we often set the tone for the whole family or the whole day, without intentionally doing it.Sande – love your comment. Thanks for making me (and others) think!Kristen and Jessica-I agree with both of you. Yes, it can be hard when they are cranky, and, yes, boys like loud noise! :)
I love this. And I love your blog. Have I asked you to join my team of writers at innnerfulfillment.wordress.com?
Great reminder :)I must try to remember when I am being bounced upon my by 4 year old who is definitely a "morning person"!
First, kudos for working out! I really have to get on that treadmill myself. *sigh*I think you're right, as busy moms we sometimes get caught up in the craziness of our schedules, that we forget to stop and smell the roses. Once again, great post. :)
Bleh! I need work on this area for sure!
Thanks for dropping by my blog, I thought I would visit yours in return and I'm so glad I did. A few years ago I took a bad fall down some stairs that left me with two (count 'em T-W-O) bad legs. It forced me to slow down because running at the spped of life was simply too painful. It made me realize how I had been blazing past so many, running ahead, or dragging along, or blowing right by. For a while I learned a lesson about slowing down and acknowledging, truly, those along the way. But time and the speed of life rushes you forward. The other day I was dragging my daughter away from her little friend to get checked in at church and later the little girl's mother and my best friend gave me a gentle (ok, painful) reminder as I left both our girls feeling flustered and a little wounded. Your post is another nudge to perhaps bring it down a gear and stroll through life long enough to smell the roses as well as hand a few out. :) Thanks for that.
Thanks for sharing, everyone. Diana, I have to remind myself to "bring it down another gear and stroll" too… and it's amazing how, everytime I do, something happens or some "door" opens that I might've missed if I hadn't slowed down. :)
Oh yes, I have fallen into the rut of not being more loving when I greet my son. Life can get hectic and it's easy to forget how much our kids just adore and love us. Thanks so much for sharing these thoughts, I know it's something everyone can relate to.
What an interesting topic!!In the past I have rushed through greetings whether coming or going until recently when I noticed I was rushing everywhere and overwhelmed. Now in the morning after I kiss my husband goodbye I wake Noodle up and he crawls into my bed and snuggles with me while I do my quiet time… sometimes he reads (looks @ pics) or colors but he is usually right next to me… once I am done with my quiet time we hug, tickle, laugh and joke around… just that joy I get is an amazing way to start our morning. If we happen to have a rushed morning for whatever reason I will still sit down and give him love or pray, kiss and hug him at school bc I know when my morning is started out crazy my day is horrible… my hope is to help him have a good day, too. (sorry so long)
Love this post! I just featured it in the latest post on my site. Thanks for the reminder!