By Staff Writer | Last Updated August 4, 2015
Children need love and affection because it helps them feel safe, comforts them, helps them feel accepted and builds self-esteem. In fact, according to Mental Health America, unconditional love is considered basic to a child’s good mental health.
According to Mental Health America, love and affection help children to feel secure regardless of accomplishments. This builds their confidence and self-esteem.
There are many ways that parents can show love and affection to their children. When children are younger, parents need to show this affection through physical demonstration, such as hugging, cuddling and holding the children. Games are also a great way to show love and affection. For babies, tickling and bouncing are great ways to show affection. When children get a little older and reach toddler age, holding their hands while they walk is a good way to show affection and has the added benefit of giving them a feeling of security.
Affectionate speech is another way to show love. As children get older and are less reliant on cuddling, parents can show affection in non-physical ways, such as paying attention to children, remembering and celebrating important moments in their lives, vocalizing their love and kissing them good night before bed.
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