Love is learned. Children are born needing love but this abstract concept is only learned through modeling and experience. The five love languages parents can model for their children include giving quality time by providing opportunity for them to receive your gift of time and attention, physical
touching, willingly offering them help, and affirming and encouraging with positive words.
Children learn with a preference towards being visual, kinesthetic or auditory. Visual learners learn by seeing information and playing closer attention to the body language and facial expressions of others.
The love language for them may be showing them loving gestures like a note in their lunchbox or playing with them or helping them with a chore. They will see you model love through those experiences.
Auditory learners learn by hearing and reading information. They understand they are loved by hearing you say, “I love you,” and when you notice their efforts with praise. The more they hear this modeled the more they will understand love.
Kinesthetic learners need lots of hands-on recognition for learning love. Giving them hugs and kisses and holding hands along with sitting side by side while reading them a story will speak to their love language.
Kinesthetic children love to be comforted. Kissing a boo-boo goes a long way.
Quality time provides the framework for meeting all of the love languages and integrates all three learning modalities. Quality time requires that you don’t mix your time with your child with time on your cell phone unless absolutely necessary. If it is necessary, tell whomever called that you have to make it quick because you are spending time with your child. That will be the most profound message you can give your child on how you prioritize time with them.
Christina Miller: Owner and Head Millhopper Montessori School