Valentine’s Day Special: You celebrate love on this day but do you love your child the right way?

The most loved-up day of the year is only a couple of days away. You might have already planned a stunning panoramic view at one of the popular romantic spots, handpicked an awesome gift or intended to prepare an intimate dinner at home. You go to great lengths to make the day special for your spouse, but what about your child?

Your child, just like any adult, gives and receives love in their own unique and special ways, what Gary Chapman terms “Love Languages”. Each time you speak your child’s love language to him or her, you are making a deposit in their love tank, and giving them emotional strength that fuels them through the day.

There are basically five different ways children, and all people, speak and understand emotional love: Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Gifts, and Acts of Service. 

Acts of Service

While the other 4 love languages are pretty self-explanatory, this love language is a harder one to define, since parenting is such a service oriented job anyway! We are constantly providing service to our kids, but the Acts of Service love language is different than the daily things we do as a parent to our children. Loving service is a gift, not a necessity. 

For example, when a child is asking you for help in fixing their bike, or finding a lost toy, or learning how to do something new, they are crying out for emotional love! It doesn’t mean that you jump at every request – especially those that aren’t age appropriate – but rather being extremely sensitive to the child’s request and knowing that your response will help fill your child’s love tank.

Nevertheless, each love language is important. 

One common act of service parents and caretakers can do to show love for their children is ensuring clean clothes and clean baby equipment for them.

Throwing soiled linen into the wash is easy and steadfast but we may just be neglecting an inconspicuous culprit of filth: baby equipment

Your child spends a lot of time in his or her car seat or baby pram but we often forget that baby gear needs to be cleaned too. But we do not have the luxury of time to clean the baby equipment every day.

As many of us know, not only car seats but baby prams too, can be storing grounds for food remnants, stains and spills, therefore encouraging the rapid growth of bacteria and creating an unhealthy environment for new-born and toddlers. 

However, many parents do not know the importance of cleaning strollers, car seats and other baby gear.

While it is advised that parents send in their baby stroller or car seat for a thorough wash every 3 months, many still do not understand the importance of doing so or have not even cleaned their baby gear before.

If you do these things consistently, more than likely you will see a change in your child’s behaviour and well-being and it can make parenting more intimate. I think you will also feel more confident in your parenting, knowing that you are meeting each of your children’s needs, from your heart to theirs!