Life of a working mom: Don’t hold back your feelings — share your love

Talk about it

I love you. They are three simple words that can change the world.

The day my son was born, I told him “Mommy loves you.” And I make sure to tell him every day.

Say “I love you” to the people you love in your life. Don’t wait another second. Don’t worry if they don’t say it back. Just do it.

I break the rules all the time. If I love someone, I tell the person. That includes family, friends and people I work with.

At work I’ve been told I must be hard, strict and not praise too often. And of course you are not allowed to love your crew.

I disagree. When my staff does a good job, I tell them. I love my crew like family. And guess what? Praise, love, support and honesty works. I have seen my staff achieve the impossible because they have someone who believes in them. I always have functioned much better in a work and home environment that is positive and loving.

Unfortunately when you are nice, people sometimes mistake you for being weak and stupid. I am neither. It takes courage to love. Real guts.

I love my son and I want to make sure he knows it. According to my favorite book “What to Expect, the Toddler Years,” if you are searching for a recipe for a happy life for your child, the single most important ingredient is loving, physical contact, according to child development experts.

One study that followed its subjects from early childhood into their 30s showed that being raised with an abundance of hugs, kisses and cuddling went further toward producing happy adults than being raised with any other advantage. It even seemed to help negate such potential risk factors as poverty, broken homes and stress. Kids who are hugged a lot find more satisfaction in all areas of life, including marriage, family, friendships and career, according to the study.

The study also said human beings can’t feel good about themselves unless they have known love — the kind of love that says “I love you no matter what.”

So why wouldn’t you hug your kids and tell them you love them? I don’t understand. Pride? Fear? It’s not how you were raised?

I know parents who have never said “I love you” to their children and it breaks my heart. It’s never too late. Even if they are old and grown, it’s not too late. Just do it. Make a complete fool of yourself.

Trust me. Even if they don’t hug you back or even if they don’t say I love you back, you will feel good. You never want someone in your life to go to his or her grave without hearing those three simple words from you.

Don’t expect that they know it. Say it and do it today. I love you. See, it’s that simple.

Julie Moravchik is news director at KQDS-TV, FOX 21. You can reach her at jmoravchik@kqdsfox21.tv or post a comment to her column on the Scrapbook page of duluthnewstribune.com. You can write to her at 2001 London Road, Duluth, MN 55812-2126.

Tags: julie moravchik, life of a working mom, scrapbook, advice, parenting, family