WHAT ARE THE 10 SIGNS OF A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CHILDREN?

1. Trust - Children who trust their parents are comfortable opening up to them about their feelings, problems, and making mistakes without fear of harsh punishment or rejection. They feel their parents will support them through difficult times. Developing trust takes open communication, respecting privacy at the right ages, and being consistent and reliable figures in their lives they can depend on.

WHAT ARE THE 10 SIGNS OF A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CHILDREN?

2. Good Communication - Maintaining good communication is so important for any strong relationship. This involves actively listening to your children without judgment, helping them find the right words to express themselves, and addressing issues that may be bothering them. It's also about openly sharing with them about your own life experiences in an age-appropriate way so they learn intimacy and empathy. Regular check-ins can help ensure lines of communication stay open and honest feedback is welcomed.

3. Shared Experiences - Bonding happens through making memories together. This could mean doing activities you all enjoy like sports, day trips, game nights, volunteering or spending casual time together without distractions. Shared experiences create an emotional connection and give you quality time to naturally talk and learn more about each other's lives. They help children open up and strengthen family ties. 

4. Respect - Feeling respected fosters closer bonds between parents and children. This involves valuing their individuality, privacy, independence as they grow and not dictating choices for them without discussion. Respect also means being courteous in how you speak to and about them to foster self-worth. Respect goes both ways as well - children who respect their parents are often closer to them and more willing to listen as respected figures themselves.

5. Unconditional Love - Knowing family love and acceptance is unconditional helps children feel secure, valued and better equipped to face challenges that will inevitably come. It means loving them through all personality types and life stages, not withdrawing affection if they fail or oppose you, and meeting their most basic emotional needs for safety, belonging and esteem. Children who feel deeply loved are better able to reciprocate love and forge meaningful relationships as adults.

6. Shared Values - While children have their own journeys to find purpose, direction and passions, parents can encourage bonding by discussing values you have in common like empathy, gratitude, education and community involvement. This shared understanding of what really matters in life provides a solid foundation for closeness and making wise collective decisions as a family unit. Having common hopes, morals and themes of character also binds relationships.

7. Spending Quality Time - Regular small moments and special activities you truly enjoy together help reinforce emotional proximity and closeness between parents and children. This quality time could mean cooking meals together, going for walks and talks, finding hobbies or chores you share, or fitting in one-on-one outings when schedules allow. Feeling a strong parental presence fosters security and allows careful listening for any issues.

8. Teamwork approach - Practicing cooperation, compromise and fairness shows children the value of working as a team and giving everyone a voice. Making major decisions jointly and respecting separate perspectives, in addition to pitching in together for home responsibilities fosters interdependence and belonging. It builds habits of considering others, negotiating effectively and problem-solving as a unit instead of individuals.

9. Honesty - Trust is heavily based on parents practicing what they preach regarding honesty, forgiveness and accountability. This means openly admitting faults or changes of perspective respectfully when kids question decisions. It’s also being upfront about the outcomes of their choices positively or negatively, keeping promises and following through on discipline in an even-handed, compassionate manner. Dishonesty or favoritism understandably erodes closeness and credibility. 

10. Support & Encouragement - Feeling believed in, accepted unconditionally and celebrated for personal wins nourishes self-esteem as children develop. Going beyond casual praise to genuinely listening without judgment to frustrations and daily details of their lives, celebrating milestones together and cheering each other on from the sidelines creates an emotional safety net that fosters risk-taking and independence balanced with closeness. Honest yet supportive feedback helps kids maximally progress.

A strong parent-child relationship ensures children feel loved, accepted, trusted and empowered through consistent nurturing, respect, support and bonding experiences to positively impact their social skills, self-worth and ability to build meaningful connections well into adulthood. Staying emotionally connected while allowing gradual independence provides stability through all of life's transitions ahead.