2. Create special time for just your immediate family. To do this, you may need to set gentle boundaries for neighbors and friends. For example, we have a neighborhood filled with very close relationships and no fewer than 14 young children. When we first moved in, we had kids knocking on our door from the crack of dawn till way past the sun set in the evening. We found that our time alone as a family was diminishing by the day as our younger children would run outside to play at the first invitation, and the competition from such a fun outdoor world really disrupted the closeness of certain special family times. It did not take long before our family relationship was feeling the stress, so we chose a symbol that is universally accepted and respected throughout the neighborhood: when the curtains on our front windows are drawn, the neighborhood children know that we are having time together as a family. When the curtains open for the day, we welcome the neighborhood children with open arms. I hope this gentle boundary sends a message to our kids, too, that it is okay (essential, even) to take time out for yourself and for nurturing the relationships with your closest loved ones.

3. Give each child tangible reminders of your love. You could write a note to your child on each birthday, detailing events over the past year that made you particularly proud and spotlighting traits that make him or her special. Or keep a jar, box, or journal titled "Things I Love About You" and add notes to it whenever they occur to you. Whenever your child is feeling down, he or she can spend a few moments with these treasures.