4 Intentional Ways I am Loving on My Kids

It's Valentine's Day on Saturday so around here we are all about love this week. Yesterday I wrote about loving the world.  Today I'm going to shrink the circle a bit and talk about loving on my kids.

Books at the Table

Around the Scott house we have been making a few changes and setting some goals.  One of my goals is to read a story from The Jesus Storybook Bible to my children at the breakfast table... Not only am I spending focused time with them first thing in the day, but they are also hearing repeatedly about God's love for them.  And they are really quiet and eat without complaining which is a huge bonus for this mama who is not a natural rise and shiner.

She picked the BEST flavour... Chocolate cake.

Special Night

Our family has a tradition called "special night".  We just revamped how this works... it used to be that special nights were 3 days a week (1 for each kid) and the special kid that night got to stay up a little later, play on the iPad and sleep in mom and dad's room... This was good and all, but Craig and I felt like we weren't really connecting with our kids on these nights.  Plus having a kid in your bed 3 nights a week is a bit of a hindrance on mom and dad's special nights if you know what I mean ;)
Now special nights are once a week and Craig and I alternate taking a kid out on a date each Friday.  So last week I took just Meadow to Menchies and Next week Craig will take Hudson out somewhere and the week after that I will take Delaney on a date, then the following week Craig will take Meadow... and so on.  Alone time with each kiddo, because I want to be a mother who knows her children.

Happy Pills

We are a homeschool family and that sometimes means I become the coach around here barking at the players to just make it to the finish line.  "Get the work done!"  Not one of my finer roles.  So when I do notice one of my kiddos becoming frustrated  I quickly grab a jellybean from my stash and sneak it to that child.  We usually share a smile, and it reminds that overwhelmed student that we are on the same team and I am here to help. 

A little walk by herself

Small Freedoms

When my bigger kids become... shall we say a bit unruly, I send them for a walk to the top of our steep long driveway.  Hopefully this will reset their brains and bodies back to human behavior and away from baboon behavior.  Not too long ago Delaney, my 3 year old, told me she wanted to go for a little walk by herself.  So I let her.  To the top of the drive way and back,  She was elated!  

A lot of times we think it's the grand gestures and giant gifts that let our children know we love them... when in fact it's the little things done with intention that fill up their little hearts.

What intentional things are you doing to love on your kids?