“I love you.” These three little words that have so much power with your significant other hold just as true in a relationship with your children. This short phrase can’t be said too much.
I grew up with a warm and loving mother who always said I love you each and everyday to me and my brother. Even as I grew older, and had children of my own, those words rang into my ears and filled me with warmth and safety. There are many things I took from my amazing mom, especially the frequency of the phrase I love you.
Children, too, deserve that feeling, so say it often.
Say it in the morning as you wake your children with annoyance and a goofy song. Say it as you kiss their faces after brushing their teeth and hair. Say it as you drop them off for school or daycare. Say it as you randomly gaze in the rearview mirror to see them nestled in their car seats. Whisper it as you cuddle them on the couch or snuggle with them for a bedtime book.
The best thing about saying this phrase is hearing it back. Unprovoked, “Mom I love you” phrases will wash over you and fill you with the same comfort.
This reciprocal love and verbal expression of it is so crucial. As children grow older, you will see it echoed in their relationships with family and significant others. Thus proving you truly can’t say I love you too much.
This is so sweet. Thank you for the reminder!