The phrases that make your child "hate" you… and the one they'll always thank you for

"This isn't a hotel." "Have you done your homework?" "Home by ten." "Because I said so."

Every parent has that repertoire. Phrases that, in our children's eyes, turn us into the most tiresome people on the planet. And which we say, precisely, because we love them to bits.

Behind every "don't forget" or that "I told you so" that irritates them so much, there's a mother or father doing what they do best: keeping them safe. Here on the Costa del Sol, as anywhere in the world, raising children means this: loving them so much that sometimes it gets on their nerves.

The phrase that never gets a sour look

There is one way to look after your children that provokes no complaints, no arguments at the dinner table, no slamming of doors. One that works quietly, without them even knowing.

It's taking out a life insurance policy.

Thinking about it isn't pleasant — we know that. Nobody wants to imagine that scenario. But that's precisely why it exists: so that, if one day you're no longer here, your children can keep their home, their education, their stability.

So that the life you've built for them — with so much effort, so many arguments and so many hugs — doesn't fall apart.

What does it actually cover?

A life insurance policy ensures that your family receives a lump sum automatically. With that money, they can meet the mortgage, manage day-to-day expenses, or secure the children's future.

The sum assured — that is, the amount your beneficiaries will receive — is decided by you, based on your family's real needs. It isn't a random figure: it's a decision that deserves careful thought.

It cannot replace a mother or father. That is impossible. But it gives them something very valuable: time and peace of mind to rebuild their lives without financial pressure weighing them down.

If you'd like to understand in detail what is and isn't covered, this guide to what a life insurance policy covers explains it all without any jargon.

Watch out for the policy your bank slipped in with your mortgage

Many families have a life insurance policy taken out with their bank when they signed their mortgage. And they often don't realise it may be far more expensive than necessary — or even exploitative.

The Supreme Court has put a stop to this practice in several cases. If you want to know whether this affects you, read this: Did your bank push a single-premium life insurance policy on you with your mortgage? It's important that you're aware of this.

And if you have that policy with your bank, it's also worth knowing how much you could save by arranging it through a broker rather than your financial institution. The difference can sometimes be very significant.

The "nagging" parent also looks out for them in silence

Being the one who insists, reminds and sets boundaries has its reward. Not always an immediate one — as everyone raising children knows — but a real one nonetheless.

Taking out a life insurance policy is, perhaps, the quietest way to keep looking after them. Without them seeing it. Without them appreciating it now. But there, working away on their behalf.

From our office in Marbella, we'll help you find the policy that best suits your family, at your own pace and without any pressure.