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COMPILED BY ELIZABETH APPLE
Plan a "camp out in her it's an "I love you," bracelet,
1) Send your child a rebus note in his lunch box. Instead of tomato sauce, or strips of cheese and green
Mom and Dad's
which she can always look at
of simply writing "I love you," draw an eye, a heart and a pepper.
bedroom" night.
to remember how much you
picture of your son or daughter.
12) Younger children generally consider it
love her.
a thrill to sleep with their parents. So one day,
2) Color-photocopy favorite fam-
17) Make heart-shaped cookies for your
why not have a camping night in your bed-
ily photos (as many as you like).
child to take to lunch.
room?
Have
your
son
bring
his
mattress
into
On a sheet of white paper,
your room and sleep beside you, or pile up pillows and
18)Little girls love little purses. Buy one for your daugh-
draw enough balloons (the kind
blankets to create a soft makeshift bed on your floor. ter and fill with tiny treats: a notebook on which you have
you see in the comics) for each person
You can whisper secrets late into the night.
written "I love you," and a heart necklace and a red pen.
in all the photos to make a comment.
Then fill in the balloons with nice re-
13)Clean your son's room, without a single complaint
19)Become the "Kissing Monster." Before you return
marks about your son or daughter. "I 1,
or lecture afterward.
home from work, or your children get home from
love David because he's thoughtful," one
- N. school, cover yourself with heart-shaped stick-
Write a book starring your child (and don't
14)
family member might
ers. When you meet up with your children, cov-
worry — you don't have to be a master story-
say. "I love David be- in a p hotograph,
er them with kisses from the Kissing Monster.
teller
or
artist).
All
you
will
need
are
a
few
pho-
cause he's handsome," have family
tos
of
your
son
or
daughter,
blank
paper
and
20)Make a heart-shaped road in the dirt
ber s telling
members
another could remark. m
a stapler. First, think ofhow you
in your back yard where your son can play
When the project is what they like
would like to portray your child as Write a
with his favorite cars.
complete, tape on the best about a son,
brother,
grandson.
a hero. You can tell a true story book
front of his bedroom
21)Using fabric paints or permanent mark-
(perhaps one time your son donat- staffing
ers,
create a sweatshirt just for your daugh-
door.
ed his hard-earned dollars to a char- your child.
ter. You also can use colorful buttons, bits of
3) Red is the color of love, so prepare an entire meal of ity, or helped his sister out of a tree),
ribbon and lace to decorate.
red for your little darling. You can add red food coloring to or you can insert your daughter's name into an old fa-
boiling water and get red pasta. A few drops of red food
or
you
can
start
from
scratch
and
22)Place a chocolate kiss on your son's pillow for
Cinderella,
vorite like
coloring mixed into lemonade produces a beautiful
him to find before he
drink. Red food coloring with cream cheese makes
goes to sleep.
a smooth treat. And don't forget foods that already
23) Make a treasure
are red, like Hot Tamale candies and licorice and
for your son or daugh-
cherries and apples and beets (of course, most chil-
ter to discover. Some-
dren probably will regard a plate
where in your house,
of beets the meal from hell, not
or in a plastic bag
an expression of your love).
buried in your back
4) Leave your child a single
yard, hide little treats
rose by his or her bedside.
like a chocolate bar,
a small toy and an "I
5) Stick love notes in places
Attach
love you!" note. Then
your son might never have
love
draw a map that
imagined: his tennis shoes,
note in a
will lead your child
wrapped around the tooth-
f
place your
to the surprise.
paste, inside a pocket, atop
child would
tipintti
never have
a favorite toy.
24)Leave a love
der ,
imagined.
note in your son's Leave a nice note in
6) Toddlers love receiving
your
favorite
book.
this secret message: hold hands
child's favorite book.
and squeeze three times for "I
25) Make a pot
love you." (Four squeezes can mean, "I love you,
of gold at the end of a rainbow.
too.") The nice thing about this is that you can de-
Paint or draw a picture of a rainbow, then write in
liver the message any time, anywhere, even places
all the reasons you love your child ("Nathan is kind
and generous, like when he gave
that require the utmost silence.
half
of his ice cream to his sis-
7) Let your daughter plan an
ter,"
or "Rachel is a sweetheart
entire evening. Fix whatever she
who
always remembers to call
wants for dinner. Afterward, go
her
grandmother").
At the end,
out for ice cream or to the zoo or
hang
a
"pot
of
gold,"
using a can
shopping or to the video store,
or
other
container
your have
then watch a film and have pop-
spray-painted
gold.
Place
a tiny
corn together.
treat inside.
8) Before making ice cubes,
26) Sing your favorite love
place small, edible hearts in each
song, but with the addition of
slot. When frozen, serve the cubes
your child's name. "Maria" from
as a sweet, loving treat in your
West Side Story easily could be
daughter's favorite drink.
"Miriam" or "Daniel" or
9) Using a red permanent
"Louisa."
marker, design a pillow case just
27) Fill a tiny bag with small,
for your child. You can draw
simply make up your own. Then, write or type the story decorative hearts (available in various sizes at craft stores)
hearts, write "I love you" and "sweet dreams," and draw a
in on the white pages, illustrated with appropriate photos and place in your child's lunch box.
picture of your family.
and drawings. No doubt other family members, like grand-
28) Serve your son pancakes topped by a giant heart
10) Take your child to visit the hospital
parents, would love a copy.
drawn
in whipped cream.
where he was born. Along the way, tell him
15)On a large sheet of paper, write all the letters of your
the story of what it was like when you learned
Leave
a new teddy bear on your child's bed, com-
29)
/ you were expecting him, the days just before daughter's name. Then fill it with nice adjectives to de- plete with a note about why your son or daughter is the
he was born, your experience in the hospital scribe her:
best in the world.
R-rated No. 1 around the world
and coming home. Children
30) Use white-out to cover the name of your son's fa-
A-adorable, amazing athletic, A-OK
love to hear how happy par-
vorite
super hero throughout a comic book. Then fill in the
le
your
child
C-charming,
chee
ents were when they were
a
blanks with your boy's name.
H-helpful, happy
bout the days born.
E-elegant
before
tom. h he was
31)Say "I love you" at least 31 times a day, once for each
11) Make your child a
L-lovmg, lovely, learned
day
of the month.
pizza all his own, and top
16)Tie a red ribbon around your daughter's wrist. Tell
with a large heart made
sue,
A treat for Our child
for every day in the month of May.
our son was mortified when you called, " I love you, hon-
ey!" after dropping him off at school.
Your daughter couldn't believe you made her kiss you
before she went to the mall with her friends. ("Mother!
How couldyou!")
Deep inside, though, they love all the "I love your. " And whether
or not they admit it, they'll love all these fun ideas which let them
ow just how terrific you think they are.