How to communicate love - educate responsible children

The precious challenge of raising offspring presents parents with many questions, and one of the dilemmas is how to communicate love to their children. The answer is not so obvious, because communicating love to children goes beyond surrounding them with spectacular objects, tasty treats and everything else that can be acquired. Loving communication with children is an intelligent and sustained exercise in time, which defines their well-being in all senses and enables parents, through hugs, caresses, affectionate phrases and affectionate gestures, to provide their children with moments of happiness and learning for a full life.

Communicating from day one

Those who are expecting a child, prepare with great enthusiasm and create all the conditions to receive it in the best possible way, but sometimes they overlook a very significant aspect: communication with our child can be established from the first moments of gestation, because future babies perceive sounds and also the mood of their mother. Those who have lived the experience of talking to their baby during pregnancy, will notice how the newborn baby shows to recognize the voices of those who spoke to him during his intrauterine stage of life, and it is one of the most beautiful memories we can have of our children, creating bonds of communication that will last forever, if adults are able to take advantage of all the richness that non-verbal languages bring, that is, caresses, hugs and smiles, to strengthen the relationship with children.

Those who have been fortunate enough to be close to a newborn know that babies express their emotions and needs, and respond to their parents' displays of affection and care. Numerous studies have shown how crucial it is for newborns to receive loving communication from their families for healthy physical and emotional development. Talking to them with affection, caressing them and holding them in your arms provides them with calm and security. This is one of the great benefits of breastfeeding, recommended by specialists, since in addition to providing optimal nourishment, it creates a moment of physical connection between mother and child that is irreplaceable.

When it comes to the care of children, especially in their first years of life and during adolescence, we cannot fail to mention some key elements without which loving communication with our children could not be carried out effectively to achieve a healthy upbringing.

They are:

• The time dedicated to the children.

• The energy with which we nurture the relationship with them.

• Patience.

• Honesty.

• Active listening.

Necessary components

Just as a puzzle is assembled by putting together multiple pieces, affectionate communication with children is forged by paying attention to each of its key elements:

• The time dedicated to the children: any time is good to communicate lovingly with them, what does change is the way to do it, depending on the age, especially in adolescence, because the signs of affection are valued differently, but the phrases of support, praise and admiration when they are deserved, and said in the right tone, are very effective. The time shared with the children becomes an unforgettable memory when they reach adulthood, which serves as a refuge and reference, that is why it is very positive that they join the parents when doing some work at home, because they also learn skills that will be useful in the future, also helping them with homework, playing board games, as well as playing sports as a family, walks, visits to family and friends, shopping, while it is shared time, provides a broader view of the world and serves to learn values, customs and traditions that characterize their family group.

• The energy with which we nurture the relationship with them: Maintaining a continuous communication with the children demands from the parents a good disposition, since it is necessary to take into account that, in the task of taking care of their family, parents often suffer the pressure imposed by the obligations to fulfill, and the physical and emotional exhaustion can erode the relationship between them, since today stress is recognized as one of the enemies of peace in the home. It can be very helpful for parents to establish stable routines of life to avoid that the rush and disorder increase the worries of adults and detract from the quality of communication between them, when parents are very exhausted both physically and mentally they are also unable to stand firm when setting limits and discipline the behavior of children.

• Patience: This is a very valuable component, as it allows parents not to lose control, creating an atmosphere of understanding and empathy, and always expecting the best from their children, giving them the opportunity to be more mature and responsible.

• Sincerity: It brings spontaneity to family relationships, as it shows the qualities of each one, what they feel and need to express freely, prioritizing respect and self-esteem, transmitting to children the example of acting with transparency always, being sincere, praising them when they deserve it, making them feel loved and valued.

• Active listening: Helps build trust between parents and children, and by feeling cared for and valued, children also learn to be receptive to the ideas of others, favoring their emotional growth.

Communication that enriches everyone

No matter how many economic possibilities there are to care for and feed children, if there is no loving communication to deal with them, their upbringing will be incomplete. More regrettable is the fact that they will be adults who do not have the capacity to enjoy all the beautiful things that life has to offer, because they grew up with this lack of affection that can rarely be reversed, since time does not turn back, and childhood is the appropriate stage to create the basis for a happy adult life. Therefore, parents should value this basic principle and create a balance between the search for resources and the time dedicated to their children, allowing loving communication to be a constant in the home, enriching the children in particular, and the family and society in its broadest sense.