Say it loud and clear. “I love you!” Can you ever say I love you too often?
I don’t believe so, especially with our grandchildren. Verbalizing our love is a powerful gift of affirmation to a very special relationship. We tend to trust those we love and whom we know love us in return. Trusted and loving grandparents are able to reinforce learning of life skills. They are connectors to family history, identity, and values. When we verbally express how much we care for our grandchildren, we include and invite them into a circle that is not only enjoyable but also serves important purposes in early development.
How Often Do You Say, “I Love You?”
When we combine verbal expressions with active engagement, conversation, activities, and time, we build the community of family. Since family is generally the first community young ones know, it becomes the foundation for many learned behaviors. Will our grandchildren participate in family gatherings, will they be kind, will they be curious and willing to learn, will they socialize easily, will they ask questions and freely express themselves, will they be respectful? So many of these life lessons and social skills are much more easily learned from trusted, loving family members.
Make sure the family circle in your family is strong and can be a place for the growth and development of our youngest members of society. Be sincere and back up your words with your actions. Good grandparenting requires action and verbalizing our love in three simple words is one of the easiest and most important ways we can take action.
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