5 Ways to Tell Your Daughter, “I Love You”
August 30, 2009 by adavant
Filed under Articles & Advice
Saying “I love you”, it is something we can not do too often. Even when your children grow to become teenagers and may not seem to care whether you say “hello” or not, much less “I love you” it is still of utmost importance that you show your love to them and for them.
You may have heard of the book, “The Five Love Languages
The five love languages include:
- words of affirmation
- quality time
- receiving gifts
- acts of service
- and physical touch.
Everyone wants to feel loved. Showing our love for others doesn’t have to be extravagant. A simple, “I am proud of you” goes a long way for someone whose love language is “words of affirmation”. An afternoon spent chatting over ice cream is huge for someone whose love language is “quality time”. A small trinket is a “big deal” for someone whose love language is “receiving gifts”. Cleaning ones room is a wonderful way to show someone whose love language is “acts of service” that you care. While a big hug after a long day at school makes someone whose love language is “physical touch” feel super special.
Photo credit: gonhara
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I’ve never read the actual original book. We went thru a short study of the teen version with my old youth group, and I really enjoyed it. I’ll have to find the original, and see if I can get hubs to read it too. I think it really helps to understand each others Love Language.
So true! I’ve never really been able to nail down my own preferred language – I just want to feel loved! And my girls do, too. And regardless of which one our own love language is, or our spouse’s or our child’s – how important it is to learn to model love in a variety of ways, and to learn to show love to others in ways beyond what we prefer. I want my daughters to be able to show love to their spouses regardless of who has what love language, so how very important for them to be modeled alll the ways and practice alll the ways to show love, from a young age.
I like how you pointed out that these don’t have to be grand gestures, and what a reminder to me, to use simple phrases, actions, gifts, to show my loved one I love them. Thanks!
I think that there is nothing that speaks love louder than quality time. One day your daughter might need affiramtion, another day support, another day a hug. You’ll never know if you don’t spend time with them. My daughter seems to prefer quality time, but is that because I always made it a point to give her that, or was that always part of her personality? When seh was younger, it was about receiving gifts. I don’t think you settle into one specific love language preference until you’re older. I’m the most difficult. My preferred love language is service, but I want you to instinctivly know what I need done and do it. But it’s commonsense stuff – like if the garbage is overflowing, take it out without me having to tell you – you know? My daughter caught on much easier than my husband.