Valentine’s Day is a great time to evaluate how we show love and care to ourselves and those around us. This Stanford University study connects positivity with success in kids. Whether you are encouraging your student or looking for a boost for yourself or spouse, consider these ideas to show some love:
Words of encouragement
Leave a note in your student’s lunch box or wake her up with words of affirmation. Things like, “I see how hard you’ve been working lately!” to “I’m proud of you for helping your brother with his homework” go a long way!
Teach your child to affirm herself as well. This study proves that self-affirmation activates the reward centers in the brain. An inner dialogue of positivity and encouragement will set your child up for success.
Helping hands
You know that room you’ve been nagging your child to tidy up? Surprising him with a clean room when he comes home from school could be a perfect way to show him you love him. On second thought, maybe helping him tidy up is better — so no special collections get thrown away or precious Lego towers get demolished!
Any project that allows you to work side-by-side with your child can forge a deeper relationship, get something done, and show your child that you enjoy spending time with him.
Gifts
Valentines, boxes of chocolate, and roses abound right now. But you can give small, thoughtful gifts all year to let your kids know you love them.
Elevate the gift-giving process past consumerism or materialism by noticing things they need or appreciate. For example, a brand new sketch pad with pencils can inspire hours of creative time. Or fuzzy socks in the perfect shade of pink can set a cozy weekend off on an intentional note.
Hugs or high fives
The last few years proved we can move a lot of life to the screen. But virtual meetings, video calls, and e-mail messages will never replace eye contact, hand shakes, and hugs. An embrace after a stressful morning and before sending your kids into school can be grounding and comforting.
If your kids have entered the unfortunate stage of being too cool for a hug from mom or dad, a high five or secret handshake can get the job done. Google TikTok dances for a few ideas to send your kids off to school with a collaborative dance in a totally not embarrassing way. (On that note, maybe we should add sarcasm as a love language for our pre-teenagers!)
As always, we encourage you to show some love to your kids by making the right choice for education. Contact us at (480) 641-2640 or (602) 274-1910 to get more information about our K-8 nationally awarded charter school of excellence with an advanced learning curriculum. In addition to online learning, we have campuses in Phoenix, Glendale, East Mesa, and Mesa.
