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Inside: Discover easy and powerful ideas to help you connect with your child using the second of the 5 love languages of children: words of affirmation. 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: Words of affirmation
Kids who have words of affirmation as their primary love language enjoy hearing praise about specific things they did. They like to show you what they did and hear your opinion.
Words of encouragement make them feel loved and confident. They are also very sensitive to criticism and harsh words can really hurt them.
If your child fits into this category, here are some easy ways to show them love and make them feel happy.
1. Use words of encouragement as often as you can. (Here is a list of words of encouragement for kids in case you need some additional inspiration.)
2. Say “I love you” often.
3. Let them know when you notice their efforts and achievements.
4. Avoid criticism and offer encouragement when the child makes a mistake (focusing on their efforts).
5. Say nice things about your child to family members and friends.
6. Stick a love note for your child on the bathroom mirror.
7. Make a list of things you love about your child and display it in your home.
8. Write love notes and leave them around the house for your child to discover.
9. Put encouraging notes in their lunchbox.
10. Make a thank you card for your child after they did something nice for you.
11. Draw a portrait of you and your child and display it in your bedroom.
12. Start a mom-child journal and write words of encouragement for your child to read.
13. If you make a mistake, offer your child a heartfelt apology and let them know how much they mean to you.
14. Say “I love when you …” and be specific about the things you like.
15. Print a few quotes with encouraging sayings and share them with your child.
16. Create a name of affection for your child.
17. Use words of praise when your child shares an achievement with you and let them know that you appreciate their efforts and you’re happy for their accomplishments.
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
