10 Things Your Kids Really Want You to Do With Them

Every year, teacher Erin Kurt asks her students what their mums do that makes them happy. Here are the top 10 answers.

“Year after year, in every country I taught, and in every type of demographic, the students were saying the same things and had the same message: It’s the small things that their mothers did that meant the most and that they remembered,” writes Kurt.

Publishing her findings in an article for Life Hack, Ms Kurt revealed the top ten things students remembered most about their mum.

10 things children love about their mums

1) Come into my bedroom at night, tuck me in and sing me a song. Also, tell me stories about when you were little.

2) Give me hugs and kisses and sit and talk with me privately.

3) Spend quality time just with me, not with my brothers and sisters around.

4) Give me nutritious food so I can grow up healthy.

5) At dinner talk about what we could do together on the weekend.

6) At night talk to me about anything; love, school, family etc.

7) Let me play outside a lot.

8) Cuddle under a blanket and watch our favourite TV show together.

9) Discipline me. It makes me feel like you care.

10) Leave special messages in my desk or lunch bag

I know my boys LOVE listening to stories of when I was little. While it makes me feel so old, it is cute to hear their responses to the stories.

What do your kids love you to do?

Share your comments below.

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29 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 11 Oct 2022
    12:39 pm
I love this list.
My kids are grown now but have told me that they loved that I was always here for them when they left the house in the mornings and I was here when they came home from school.

- - mom183717 said
  - 05 Apr 2019
    2:40 pm
What a sweet little article. Beautiful memories for kids

- - rachel1970 said
  - 11 Jan 2019
    9:37 am
I’m a big cuddler and note in the lunch box maker. Love all these things. Not sure my kids would agree with the discipline and nutritious food though.

- - Ellen said
  - 11 Jan 2019
    8:14 am
Don’t know if my kids love to be disciplined

- - mom265671 said
  - 09 Jan 2019
    1:52 am
absolutrly love spending time with my girl doing nothing but cuddling

- - SPerry37 said
  - 09 Jan 2019
    1:04 am
Omg my daughter ask me to emerita notes and leave them in her lunch box all the time
We pretty much do everything here

- - mom101628 said
  - 08 Jan 2019
    9:46 pm
Every child wants TIME with their mother one on one. It can be done even in a large family, but mothers MUST put down their phones.

- - rnash02 said
  - 08 Jan 2019
    7:39 pm
My son loves mummy cuddles while reading a story

- - Blossom said
  - 03 Sep 2018
    9:48 am
I know a young boy who just wants to be with his Mum, not go to the movies or other places where he gets no one-on-one time

- - sars_angelchik said
  - 07 Aug 2018
    1:04 pm
I love the idea of writing special messages – I will definitely remember this one when my daughter is old enough to read a little better.

- - mom78754 said
  - 06 Aug 2018
    10:20 am
The quality time alone without other siblings can be real tricky when you are a big family. When the kids were in primary school I would let them have a “Mum Day”, a day off alone with mum and we would do something special or even just hang out together- it is so worth it.

- - rovermum said
  - 06 Aug 2018
    9:53 am
My son is 17 and he still loves pretty much most of these… even if we don’t tell anyone!!
- mom78754 replied
  
  06 Aug 2018 , 10:21 am
  That is so nice to hear that he still is like that at 17, I hope you know you have something really special there.
- - mom114371 said
  - 01 Aug 2018
    8:04 pm
Was this list actually written by kids? I can’t imagine a kid would ask for discipline! But I think the other points about quality time together is something we can forget about when we get too caught up in the day to day
- rachel1970 replied
  
  04 Aug 2018 , 5:38 pm
  It’s believable, my now 13yo daughter says she likes it when I discipline her as she knows I care and want her to grow up into a respectful adult and only do it because I love her!
- - Ellen said
  - 31 Jul 2018
    7:29 am
Nice list. Kids love it the most when you listen and give them undivided attention, hugs kisses and love talk.

- - sambii said
  - 30 Jul 2018
    11:44 pm
Taking them to the park, letting them help me do everything, kissies and cuddles, family movie night, crazy dancing, cooking their favourite foods, letting them do craft, letting them cook — there is so much more! Fortunately we have healthy and happy children!!