Letting Kids Know They Are Loved
I think it’s important for our children to hear that we love them, every day. Yep, EVERY day. Even on the hard days. Our kids don’t earn our love through good behaviour. As parents we give it unconditionally, even when we don’t like our children’s choices or actions or even their attitude. Every child deserves to be loved.
We are all different though, and we all receive and give love in different ways. If you have read The Five Love Languages (Gary Chapman) you are probably aware of the five main ways people show love to each other:
- words of affirmation
- quality time
- receiving gifts
- acts of service
- physical touch
At ages 4 and 1 my kids are still pretty young, so I’m still not sure what their love languages will be (though I am beginning to see with my daughter). I therefore try to show them love in all five ways to make sure they get the message! Here is one way I have been reminding my daughter that she is loved, even when she is at kindy and I am at home:
I often put a little note into her lunch box, but writing the note actually ON the banana is way more fun. The best bit is that the note is invisible when I pack the banana, and only appears during the day. To send your child a banana-gram just write directly onto the skin with a bamboo skewer. The pressure will bruise the skin slightly but not damage the fruit. As the bruise darkens during the day the message appears! I always show my girl her lunchbox when it is packed so she knows what to expect later in the day – but the message is a surprise.
If you have a young child who responds to words of affirmation, or receiving gifts, try sending them a secret message in their lunch box. It’s a great way to let them know they are loved.
How do you show love creatively to your kids?
What a fab idea! It would work for husbands too if they take a lunch to work.
.-= Catherine´s last blog ..a handful of alternative construction materials =-.
one day, i will remember this cool thing i saw on super nanny–leaving a love message on the bathroom mirror with a dry erase marker!
Ooh! I like this idea. Banana-grams! Fantastic.My mind is opened to the potential here. Thank you.
.-= Juliet´s last blog ..Outdoor Play at Cowgate Under 5′s Centre =-.
What a cool idea!
.-= Christie – Childhood 101´s last blog ..It Was All So Simple Then =-.
Absolutely fabulous idea! I have left notes before but writing it on the fruit is a great idea!
There’s a French proverb that translates something like, “It is not only necessary to love, but also to say it.” What a great way to do it!
.-= Teacher Tom´s last blog ..An Oasis Of Concentration =-.
Oh I love this idea. I am in total agreement with you about showing my kids I love them in different ways. Thanks for the creativity. x
.-= seraphimsp´s last blog ..Sunday affirmations =-.
oh that is way cool… so wish my girls would eat bananas!
Mind you my girls are very verbal about their love… randomly saying ‘hey Mum… I love you’ even at some very strange times!
.-= katepickle´s last blog ..Friday Fings… =-.
That reminds me of these gorgeous lunch box notes I saw somewhere around the webs.The mum would make up these tags to attach to her daughters lunch box every week when she went to kinder. Apparently she loved them so much she’d show them for show and tell each day
.-= Bec´s last blog ..We were right! =-.
@Bec
Yeah, I remember that. Might have been Amy from Teach Mama..? I think she has printables if anyone is interested.
This is a wonderful idea that I will use for my school boy, banana-grams here we come.
.-= C.F.´s last blog ..Play time =-.
Cute Cath! Think I’m going to steal the idea and use it on my husband tomorrow. He takes a standard peanut butter sanga, 2 gingernut biscuits and a banana to work every day. Might need a bit of love at lunch : )
…Oh and I’ll try it on Miss M too! Thanks for the encouragement.
.-= Amanda – Busy Brissy Mum´s last blog ..Fence Painting =-.
Oh this is such a cute idea… and so simple too! Thanks!
.-= Melissa (@adventuroo)´s last blog ..Call Me For a Good Time =-.
So cute! I have a little gift giver here, she’s just like her father and brings me flowers, strange pebbles, shells and all sorts of things she finds. I do little lunches for her cut into shapes and things. I also spread out buying our craft supplies and things like that so she gets little presents that way – a new bottle of paint is all it needs!
.-= Deb´s last blog ..We Play With Colours =-.
I have started with leaving notes for my little miss in her lunch box too…she so loves them and reminds me everyday to write a message for her…she shows it to her friends and now they want to know why their mummies don’t write them letters too…
I love the bananagram idea…will give it a go for sure!
Ta for the idea….
Oh this is such a cute idea… and so simple too! Thanks!
.-= Melissa (@adventuroo)´s last blog ..Call Me For a Good Time =-.
I love the banana idea! I think my kids have decided they like to be shown love through big plastic toys. I am not sure if that is really the way they like to be shown love or they are old enough to lay it on thick!
.-= Gwynneth Beasley´s last blog ..Making Art Outside =-.