Words of love

On to love language #2-words of affirmation. There are several ways to communicate love verbally to your child. The most common is words of praise or affection, but there are other ways to speak love. Words of encouragement are a great way to instill courage in your child. "To a young child almost every experience is new. Learning to walk, to talk, or to ride a bicycle requires constant courage. By our words, we either encourage or discourage the child's efforts." What about loving words of guidance? It's so easy to approach our words of guidance from a negative standpoint. Don't touch that! Don't throw your food! We will have to deal with negative aspects of life when raising a child, such as talking about drugs, but even these topics can be approached in a loving manner. "Parents who offer words of loving guidance will be looking closely at the interests and abilities of their children and giving positve verbal reinforcement of those interests. From academic pursuits to to simple rules of etiquette to the complex art of personal relationships, parents need to be expressing emotional love in the postive verbal guidance they give their children."

pg. 48, 52 "The Five Love Languages of Children" by Gary Chapman & Ross Campbell