Five Love Languages

I just recently finished reading the book, "The Five Love Languages of Children," by Gary Chapman. My husband and I have been huge fans of the original book, "The Five Love Languages," since we were dating. We discovered what each of our primary languages were and discussed how to speak the other person's language in a way that made them feel the most loved. We come back to this discussion, along with the discussion on temperaments, quite often. It is always fun and enlightening!

As Rose Marie continues to grow, I have been watching her begin to truly express herself. The thing that has been the most interesting is watching how she expresses love. I have known since she was little, that physical touch was not necessarily how she felt the most loved, nor how she gave love. It seems that right now, at this little stage in her life, she is expressing her love for others through acts of service. It is so beautiful to watch! When Jake comes home for the weekend, she does not always run to his arms, but quickly asks, "Can I get you a drink? Do you want me to take your shoes off? Do you want a snack? Let me put your suitcase away for you!" During the week she talks about how she can't wait for Daddy to come home so that she can "take care of him." She is so attentive and so nurturing.

The book was so helpful in reminding me to pay closer attention to how Rose Marie is loving. It also pointed out that most children do not show their primary love language until the age of five, which is why until that time, it is crucial to purposefully speak all five love languages to the child. We should always be striving to speak all five languages anyway, but I think knowing what a person's primary language is, can help to ensure that you are saying, "I love you," in a way that speaks loudest to their heart.

For now, the book was a gentle reminder to express my deep love for my children in many different ways. I making more of an effort to try to speak each of the five languages to each of my children throughout the day. Some days are better than others, but it helps me stay focused on what is the most important thing...cherishing and loving my babies.