I was lucky enough to be blessed with a child who has the same love language I do. We both value quality time above all else. While we both show each other love in multiple ways, nothing says, “I love you” more than spending time together. As a busy single parent there isn’t always a lot of time to sit down just the two of us and play, but I have found that when I make time for the little things, not only does our relationship grow stronger, but he also behaves better as well.
When my son feels important and loved he is more likely to listen to me and do what I’ve asked because his needs are being met. When he’s not getting enough one-on-one time with his mom, he responds by acting out, because any attention is better than no attention.
All kids are different. My two younger siblings have a very different love language than my mother and I do. When they would express their love I would often push it away because it was different than mine. My mother learned over time that she had to express love differently to them to make them feel valued. They needed to be hugged and kissed. They needed my mother’s physical touch to feel safe and secure. It wasn’t easy for my mother to express her love in this way at first, but it was important enough to her that she learned how to show them her love in the way they needed it most.
Watch for what makes the biggest difference for your child. Do they thrive on your praise? Do they feel more love from acts of service or gifts? Every child is different, but they all have one thing in common; they need to know their parents love and care about them. You may have to go out of your comfort zone to show them, but there is nothing better than the smile in their eyes when they know that you love them more than anything else this world has to offer.