How to Learn Your Child’s Love Language in One Quick & Easy Exercise!
Want to figure out your child’s love language?
Of course, you do! Well, friends…search no longer! I did this recently with my two oldest toddlers, and was so impressed with the results that I just had to share with you all! I know I’m not the only mama searching for ways to connect with each of her children’s hearts to really make them feel loved. After all, we can’t solely show love to others the way WE want to receive it! What if our children receive love differently!? I recently asked myself these very questions one month ago, and I went on a journey to discover how my children felt loved. A toddler may not be able to easily TELL us their love language, but they certainly can SHOW us…and I’m about to show you how!
After my husband and I took the 5 Love Language test found here, I stumbled upon their quiz to learn a teen, or a child's love language. For 8 years and younger, they gave a suggestion to have your child draw, or call out some ideas of how a parent shows they love their children! I tweaked their suggestion with a bit more structure, and I couldn’t believe it worked! It not only worked for figuring out our 5 year old and 3 year old’s love language, but we were left with a priceless keepsake! Watch the video below, and keep on reading…:-)
Here’s how it works:
Grab a pen and piece of paper, and divide it into 4 separate grids.
2. Ask your child to draw one picture in each grid of ways parents show love to their children! (PRO TIP: If you are doing this with multiple children, don’t let them see each other’s drawings to prevent “copycat answers!” I’ve been there, haha!) Be sure not to feed them your own answers, or suggestions. They must draw, or tell you as best they can how to help them draw it! (My 3 year old daughter was a little intimidated to draw her first time around so I asked her to tell me the ways and we would draw them together!) Remember, this is not a homeschool art project! It’s ok if the pictures are a little messy, or if the young child’s picture looks NOTHING like what they say it is, haha! Thats fine! (As long as after drawing it, your child can tell you what they drew that shows how parents shows their children that they love them.)
3. Once they finish drawing 4 ways parents show they love their children…take a look!! You’ll likely notice a trend!! Sit down one-on-one with your child, and ask what they drew in each square! I, personally, like to label each drawing with what they tell me a parent does to show their child that they love them! I then date it, write my child’s name, and label the love language it represents! In it goes, to my handy dandy folder to protect it, and to save their precious drawings of what love means to them over time! It doesn’t need to be pretty, or artistic. It’s a beautiful keepsake in itself of your children’s ideas “frozen in time!”
Are most of the drawings referring to quality time, physical touch, receiving gifts, words of affirmation, acts of service? This is often very obvious, and for my children, personally, I was shocked to see a pattern in the drawings of each child!
Notice all of these drawings have to do with experiences??…Hence: quality time!
Notice all these drawings involve either kind words, or actions? Hence: words of affirmation, or acts of service!
This is a beautiful way to get an inside look on how your child interprets love at their current age. It may even develop over time so consider doing this activity every few months, or year! Your child might just inadvertently hint some great ideas on how you can best show them you love them!!
Now it’s time for YOU to spread the word!! Share this blog post and video with a fellow mama friend, and let me know in the comments section what YOUR child’s love language was!! I can’t wait to hear!
