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Inside: Discover easy and powerful ideas to help you connect with your child using the first of the 5 love languages of children: physical touch. They can make a big difference and help you build a strong relationship with your child!
Discovering the 5 love languages of children and using them to show kids how loved they are will unlock their heart and make them very happy!
This is why I decided to start a series of articles focused on easy ideas to express love and connect with the kids using the love languages.
If your child has physical touch as their primary love language you’ll find here easy ideas that you can use anytime you want to make them feel loved.
The 5 love languages of children
The concept of love languages was introduced by Gary Chapman and Dr. Ross Campbell. They explained that people have different ways to express and receive love. It’s very important for any relationship to be able to “speak” the love language of the partner.
This applies to couple relationships but also to the parent-child relationships and any other close relationships in our lives. They focused more on how this applies to kids in their book – “The five love languages of children“.
The 5 love languages of children are physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service, gifts, and quality time.
How to discover your child’s love language
Learning the love language of your child can have a big impact on your relationship. It was a lesson that was very precious to me and I’m sure that it can make a big difference for you too!
Here are some easy ways to do discover your child’s love language:
- aks your child what makes them feel loved
- try to use the 5 love languages one by one and notice how your child reacts to each of them
- for young children use role play using stuffed animals to find out how your child sees love
- notice how your child expresses their love for you (it might offer you good clues on how they want to receive love).
People usually have one primary love language and one secondary love language so don’t be surprised if you discover characteristics from two or more categories.
You can find more details about the 5 love languages of children and their importance in this article.
Love languages of children: Physical touch
Kids who have physical touch as their primary love language enjoy receiving hugs and kisses. They like to cuddle and they also love physical games like racing or wrestling.
If your child fits into this category, here are some easy ways to show them love and make them feel happy.
1. Offer hugs and kisses when your child wants to cuddle.
2. Create a special family handshake.
3. Play physical games like racing or wrestling.
4. Snuggle on the couch and read together some stories.
5. Tuck your child in at bedtime.
6. In the morning wake them up in a loving way and snuggle for a while before getting out of the bed.
7. Cuddle on the couch while watching a movie.
8. Give your child a piggyback ride.
9. (for young kids) Hold hands during walks.
10. Stroke your child’s hair (if they enjoy it).
11. Create a special hug for greetings and good-byes.
12. Rub your child’s back (this is very helpful when the child is upset because it helps them feel better).
13. Give high-fives often.
14. Play sports that require physical touch.
15. Create a family group hug to help you connect as a family.
16. Offer to give your child a shoulder massage if you see them being worried or upset.
17. Include Twister on your list of games for family game nights.
18. Have a tickle session (if your child likes this).
19. Start a dance session and be each other’s dance partner.
20. Play “the love gun”. – I discovered this game in Lawrence Cohen’s book and it’s a great way to connect with kids. The child pretends to have a “love gun” and shoots you with it.
Every time you get shot, you need to chase the child and give them many hugs and kisses. You can also sometimes pretend that the shot missed you to make the game more fun.
More ideas to help you connect with your kids
- 52 awesome date ideas that will make kids feel happy
- The magic relationship ratio that will make you a better parent
- 65 things to do with kids under five that will make them happy (and you too!)
Other love languages of children
>> Want to remember this? Share these ideas to your favorite Pinterest board!
photo credit: Evgeny Atamanenko / shutterstock.com
