How Can I Show Love to My Child? Part 1

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash

Love, according to the Oxford dictionary, is "an intense feeling of deep affection." As a parent, we all have love for our children but learning how to show that love can be a challenge as our children grow older. Over the course of the next three months, I will provide tips on how you can show your child how much you love him/her through games. This month's post will focus on games that facilitate making eye contact. 

Looking into your child's eyes is a form of non-verbal communication that is intimate and can be intense. Games, as I've mentioned before, can help facilitate the process of connecting and re-connecting with our children. This is especially true when we feel like we are losing touch with who they are and don't know how to best interact with them. A few games that can help both of you reconnect include:

• Copy My Face- this is a game where you and your child will take turns making funny faces. The sillier the face the better as it affords an opportunity connect via laughter. It also can give you a chance to see just how skilled your child can be at making a variety of faces.  

• Copy My Eye Movements - in this game, you will wink one eye and your child will have to copy. If you winks 3 times, then your child has to wink 3 times. You then proceed taking turns. Does your child not know how to wink? No problem, just play it by having them shut both eyes instead of one. 

• No Blinking Contest - in this game, you and your child will stare at each other's eyes and see who lasts the longest without blinking. Depending on the age of the child, I will sometimes let it slide if there is a slight blink when we are first getting started. And, in case you missed my previous blog post, here's a reminder - these games are not about the parent winning but instead about giving the child an opportunity to master a skill and have fun while doing so. 

• Last, but certainly not least, Peek-A-Boo is a classic infant/toddler game that makes "disappearing behind hands" fun and intriguing for young children. It creates suspense and can lead to spontaneous bursts of giggling during the moments of suspense. 

A note of caution: Some children can become uncomfortable making eye contact due to various issues. If you find your child is not engaging in the games I mentioned, don't push the issue. Just work around it if possible or if you believe it is better, don't play at all. 

Aside from playing games, I would also encourage you to make a conscious effort to notice what your child's eyes/face looks like when they are eating, coloring, doing homework or even watching their favorite show. Such  moments happen so often during the day but we often forget to check in and see what our child looks like as they are growing. Doing so can help remind us about the important things in life. 

Stay tune for next month's post where I will be sharing games you can play that focus on touch. (Hint, hint - handclapping games!) 

Thank you for reading. 

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