19/05/2025
10 THINGS YOUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER FORGET ABOUT YOU By Bisi Adewale
As parents, we often think that the biggest impact we have on our children is in the grand gestures the vacations, the big birthday parties, the toys, the gifts. But the truth is, children are more likely to remember the subtle, consistent, everyday experiences of love, guidance, and presence. These are the imprints that last a lifetime and shape the kind of adults they become.
Here are 10 unforgettable things your children will never forget about you things that will echo in their hearts long after they've left your home.
1. How You Made Them Feel
Your children may not remember everything you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. Did they feel loved? Safe? Respected? Valued? Or were they constantly criticized, belittled, or neglected? Emotional memories are the most powerful. Your tone, your touch, your expressions of affection or rejection—these all shape their self-worth.
“People will forget what you said… but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
2. The Time You Spent with Them
Whether it's bedtime stories, homework help, or simple walks in the park, children cherish the moments when you chose to be with them over everything else. They will remember the undivided attention, the laughter during playtime, and the comfort of knowing you were present—not just physically, but emotionally.
Time is the currency of love for a child. It says, “You matter.”
3. Your Reactions During Their Mistakes
How you responded when they failed, lied, broke something, or made a poor decision will never leave their memory. Did you erupt in anger or guide them with understanding? Children need correction, yes—but correction drenched in love and laced with patience is what transforms them.
Harsh words may solve a moment, but they often wound a lifetime. Gentle discipline helps children grow while still feeling secure.
4. Your Character and Integrity
Children are silent observers. They watch what you say and do. They will never forget your honesty—or your lack of it. They remember how you treated strangers, handled stress, managed conflict, and respected others.
If your actions contradicted your words, they noticed. If you lived by your values, even when it was hard, that left a mark. You are their first example of what it means to be a man or woman of character.
5. Your Love for Each Other (or the Lack of It)
If you are married, your relationship with your spouse is a model for love and marriage in your children’s eyes. They watch how you speak to each other, how you argue, how you reconcile. A home full of affection and mutual respect creates emotional stability; a home full of strife plants seeds of fear or confusion.
Even in cases of single parenting, the way you handle co-parenting, boundaries, and respect will shape your child’s view of love and commitment.
6. Your Faith and Values
The prayers you prayed, the scriptures you quoted, the moral compass you lived by—these will become part of your child’s internal wiring. If you taught them to honor God, show kindness, serve others, and stand for truth, you gave them something the world cannot take away.
Even if they drift, those seeds often bring them back. Faith leaves fingerprints on the soul.
7. The Sacrifices You Made for Them
Children may not fully grasp your sacrifices while they are young, but as they grow, they begin to see the hours you worked, the pleasures you denied yourself, and the dreams you paused so theirs could live.
They remember the nights you stayed up when they were sick, the meals you skipped so they could eat, and the life you built around them. They may not say it often—but they will never forget it.
8. The Words You Spoke Over Them
Encouraging words have power. So do destructive ones. “You’re smart,” “I’m proud of you,” “I believe in you” — these words build a confident child. “You’re stupid,” “You’ll never amount to anything,” “Why can’t you be like your sibling?” — these cut deeply and take years to undo.
Your words create an internal voice in your child’s head. Be the voice of life, not of limitation.
9. The Traditions and Memories You Created
Friday night dinners, Sunday devotionals, bedtime prayers, special songs, games you played together, vacations you took—these form the joyful soundtrack of your child’s upbringing.
Children don’t just remember what you did. They remember the rhythm of life in your home. Traditions create connection, identity, and warmth. They’re the memories they’ll carry into their own parenting one day.
10. Whether You Believed in Them
When everyone else doubted them, did you believe in their potential? Did you nurture their gifts, push them to try again, and remind them that they are destined for greatness?
Your belief gives your child permission to dream. When they recall the one person who always stood by them — in their wins and their losses — they will think of you.
Your children may forget the clothes you wore, the car you drove, or even the job you held. But they will always remember your love, your presence, your words, and your character. Every day, you’re writing your legacy into their hearts. Make it a legacy worth remembering.
Let your children say years from now, “My father was there for me,” or “My mother loved me deeply,” or “My parents taught me how to live, love, and lead with integrity.”
Because what your children never forget… becomes what they one day pass on.
