A young mother is sitting on her brownstone stoop, smiling from ear to ear. She is watching her husband and son coming towards her.  Dad gently shakes his head into his five-year-old son’s tummy while securely holding his son’s horizontal body.  

Dad and son are spontaneously laughing.

Dad tenderly flips his son’s feet onto the ground and whispers into his son’s ear. “I love you.”

The boy beams as he runs up the steps and jumps into his mother’s open arms.

In this 60-second scenario of a five-year-old boy’s interaction with his parents, we see many needs met for the whole family.  The boy feels safe and loved. The boy and his dad are having fun while having physical contact. The boy trusts his dad holding him. His father verbally affirms his love to his son. His parents feel warmth and harmony.  The family is experiencing a strong connection of love.

Very often, little spontaneous acts can be most powerful in building and maintaining a loving family environment.