5 Things to Always Say to Your Child

As parents what we say and do has an impact on how our children view themselves, their parents and the world. Our reaction to different situations will determine how they approach certain activities and tasks in the future.

Here are 5 things to always say to your child:

“I love you” = This makes your child feel cared for and safe which means that should something bad happen they can always turn to you who loves them unconditionally.
“I like it when you…” or “I appreciate it when you…” = Taking the time to point out and praise positive thing that your child does encourages them to continue to do these things which could bring about more good behaviour.
“I believe in you” or “I know you can” = This helps build your child’s confidence levels and encourages them to go after their dreams. However, don’t wait until their old to tell them this, these skills need to be built up from a young age. Similarly, don’t just say “I am proud of you” when they do something great, but also when they are trying out for something. They fact that they are trying takes courage and letting them know you see their efforts and are proud of them for it encourages them to continue to chase their dreams.
“We all make mistakes” or “you don’t have to be perfect to be great” = Parents often tend to want their children to believe they were perfect individuals who never made mistakes; due to the fear that letting them know this will encourage them to do the same. As a parent you don’t have to disclose every detail about your past mistakes, but letting your child know that you made mistakes and the consequences for these mistakes and even how you pulled through and what you learnt encourages them to pick themselves up after a failure and keep moving. This is especially useful when it comes to teaching them about dealing with relationships, career progression and/or building a business.
“I believe you” or “I trust you” = Letting your child know that you trust them helps build their self-esteem and also makes it easier for them to come to you when they have a problem. Take them time to talk and listen to your child(ren), if they have made a mistake find out the reason behind it and explain why it is was not right as well as offer them a different approach to the situation. More often than not you will find some bad behaviour came from misguided good intentions.

Bonus tip: Always let your child know that they are “beautiful both inside and out”. In a superficial world one can easily lose their self-worth due to the images on social media or on advertisements hence letting your child know and appreciate their beauty from an early age builds their confidence and self-worth at an earlier age. This makes it harder for them to be phased by what they see in magazines or even harsh words from everyday critics.