Welcome back! This week, we're talking about chapter 3 of the book, The Five Love Languages of Children. This chapter is all about the "words of affirmation" love language. I hope you are enjoying the book as much as I have been! I am sooooo glad that I've picked up this book! I think this book would benefit any parent, and I think even re-reading it every couple years as your children grow and change would be a very wise decision.
Anywho...words of affirmation. This is one of my husband's top two love languages, so I've been practicing this one for a while. It's also given me an opportunity to learn from him as I watch him interact with other people. He's an encourager. He reminds people that he loves them, appreciates them, or sees how hard they're working. He compliments people and tells them what he likes about what they've done/who they are/the decisions they're making. When he notices that someone has done something special with their hair, dressed up nicely, etc., he is always the first to compliment their new look or their clothing choices. He notices when my friends get haircuts long before I ever do! Although I think I do pretty well with words of affirmation, I am always learning a thing or two in this field from him.
I'm committing to pay close attention to the times that I use words of affirmation with each of my children this week. I think it will be challenging to consciously think about it all week, but I truly don't know how I do in this area with my children. I believe that I do well in this area, as I can think of several recent examples in my head, but I just want to be sure that I am doing it, and that I'm doing it often.
One thing I liked in this chapter was the reminder that praise needs to be meaningful. Children know when we are just throwing words out there, and when we really, truly mean them. We just need to be wise in when and how we use our words.
What did you like from this chapter? Do you feel challenged? Does words of affirmation come natural to you? Leave a comment below!
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