20+ Ways to Show Your Kids You Love Them
When by oldest two girls and I were on our trip to Seattle, we had a couple issues we had to work out. So, we had a conversation about love languages. The oldest two? Definitely have very different love languages. We talked about the best ways to show each other they loved each other and that they have to show their love in the way the recipient needs it shown. Not their own.
It’s a challenge.
I’ve mentioned them before when Mr. Serious and I did a study at church (there’s a brief snippet to initiate a conversation with your spouse…highly recommended) using The 5 Love Languages. If what I said up there doesn’t make sense, I recommend grabbing the book. It really is amazing.
Just like the adults, the kids also have their own love language. In fact, there is a book about the 5 Love Languages that is geared towards parents to help with their kids.
The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively
The 5 love languages span all people and generations.
- Quality Time (most kids crave this)
- Gifts
- Acts of Service (our girls call this “doing something nice for you”)
- Physical Touch (and call this “hugs and kisses”)
- Words of Affirmation (or as our daughter like to call it “Nice Words”)
Our girls need their main love language nurtured the most, but they all get a bit out of the others as well.
20+ Ways to Show Your Kids You Love Them.
Quality Time
- Play a game with them
- Read a book out loud
- Watch a show they like and engage
- Go to the park and swing together
- Cook a meal together
- Do a craft together…and even get messy
Gifts
I feel like this is the easiest one to do, but get creative with gifts and try to make them an experience, too. Or a gift that is homemade.
Acts of Service
- Fold their clothes for them
- Offer to clean up a game when the game is over
- Take your child to their favorite park
- Let them pick the restaurant
- Bring them a fun lunch at school
Physical Touch
- Hugs
- Kisses
- Snuggles
- Hold their hand (I find this very effective with my littler girls when they are having a rough time in the car)
- Brush their hair
Words of Affirmation
- Give them praise that isn’t related to how they look
- Find something every day to tell them they did well
- Compliment them on something they did
- Praise them for how they interact in a certain occasion
- Give them a surprise heart attack (check out the blog post with free printables.)
The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children EffectivelyThe 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that LastsFive Love Languages, Small Group Study Edition
I highly recommend the 5 love languages adult version for anyone in a relationship. I can imagine the one for kids is excellent too. A salesman from Helzberg Diamonds recommended the book to Joe and I over 15 years ago. We both read it. You definitely need to know each others love languages to have a deeper understanding of showing them love.
I used to love notes from my mom in my lunchbox. She would draw a picture or leave me a knock knock joke! I can’t wait until Red can read all of my bad jokes!