Love letters to our kids. We should all write one now and again. Especially if you are a parent who doesn’t easily convey your feelings to your child. And even if you are one who does.

I know there are times when your kid(s) really impress you. Maybe they showed compassion for others or worked really hard on something, or had a brilliant idea. Doesn’t matter what it is. Maybe they handled a transition of some sort with ease or acceptance or grit. Think about your child. What really great and unique qualities do they have that make them special? What are their strengths? What traits do they have that you admire? I know you love them, but what do you LIKE about them as little people? What is really cool about your son or daughter?

Tell them. Write them a love letter. Make sure you’re in love when you do it. It’s got to be sincere. The key is to write it when you feel it. And before they break something or piss you off cause they probably will tomorrow. Do it now. Do it with truth and do it with emotion. Don’t worry about your writing skills. Just say what you really love about them as a person. Don’t be too sappy or sicky sweet. Talk to them like you would a friend you respect.

Be specific. Site things you’ve observed, situations they’ve handled well, positive actions they’ve taken, good decisions they’ve made. If you have to think too hard to come up with these things, it’s not the right time. Wait til it’s right there in your mind, then just write to them. One page is enough. Hell, one paragraph is enough if that’s all you can manage. You can’t even imagine how great the impact can be on your child.

The first time I wrote one to my daughter I think she was around ten years old. I wrote the letter on Christmas eve and left it for her to find on Christmas morning. This has no significance really. It just happened to be the time I felt compelled to put down in words, my pride and joy in my daughter and to share that with her. She didn’t say much more than “Thanks mom.” but she tacked the letter up on the bulletin board in her bedroom.

A few days later, over the school break, she wanted to get together with a friend and invited one over to our house for the day. When I found out the kids planned to hang out at the friends rather than our house, I felt sad. This friend had a large screen tv, hot tub, ice rink in the back yard, all kinds of electronic games, etc. Certainly more potential for fun than at our house. My daughter could see I was disappointed and she asked what was up. I made some comment about not having her friends at our house because it was lacking all these “toys”. Her response? She pointed to the love letter on her bulletin board and said, “But mom, Paige doesn’t have one of those.” Makes me cry just thinking about it.

Most of us have positive thoughts and feelings about our kids all the time but we often focus more on correcting their behavior, telling them to clean their room or work harder in school, etc. We may “brag” to a friend about our children’ accomplishments or special abilities but how often do we voice this pride and confidence in their abilities to the kids themselves?

Who would be thrilled beyond belief to get a love letter from you?

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