Friday night, my kitchen.
“Are you geddin cited bout tomorrow daddy?”
“Yes, really excited.”
A few minutes later I told her that daddy loved her a whole lot. She didn’t reply or even acknowledge it, just nonchalantly went about her business. In forty four years I never heard my dad say that. I know she’ll remember though.
Our generation weren’t brought up with those three little words, it was assumed, never spoken. To this day I have a problem telling my Dad how much he means to me, we don’t even kiss each other goodbye or hug. If we did one or both of us would cry.
Like you I make a point of telling my kids how much I love them and of course they will remember.
I make a point of telling my boys at the school gate that I love them….the eldest one hates it, but I DON’T CARE!!
I very rarely tell my mother that, for reasons long and boring, but I say it to mine every day, because I mean it, and if I get hit by a bus, it would have been the last thing I said to them….morbid cow? Me?
She will remember it, they are like little baby elephants, they never forget they heard you say it….so WHY can’t they have some sweets!???
i tell my kids everyday that i love them. my parents have told me they loved me, too, but i don’t think as frequently as i do. and i don’t think we were overly affectionate. my girls are 11 and 9 and will still give me hugs & kisses no matter who sees. my son who will be 21 in june will still hug me, but in first grade he told me to stop kissing him when he would line up for school..that i could only do it in the car. by second grade, i couldn’t even do it in the car at school lol
i’m also a different parent than my own. i am more liberal and not as conservative. i have always made it easy for my kids to come to me with anything…and they have. here’s what my 11 yr old said when she started liking somebody…’mom, i want to tell you something because i want to be honest with you about it.’ i told her that i was listening. she told me that she had a boyfriend. i didn’t get mad, i listened, i said a few words and that was that. now with this boyfriend i’m not so worried because 1) she told me about it 2) she’s still nervous and shy around him 3) they don’t do much more than talk on the phone, play outside, hug (maybe twice), and one kiss on the cheek. all of which i had been told about. with their father is a whole different story…she started crying and hung the phone up on him when he mentioned she had a boyfriend LOL but he was ok with it once he knew….when somebody keeps telling you you can’t date until you’re married, would you want to tell them anything, either? lol
how freaking sweet are you….?
it was often said in our house after mum got sick. It was comforting I can tell you…….
Right on
ellie, my parents are still alive. You’d think my dad could manage saying it once to my daughter. Skip a generation but at least it would show he’d learned something.
Queen of Clean, a woman after my own heart.
ciara, important words aren’t they. Small reassurance, big effect.
manuel, today I’m saccharine.
Laoch, I’ll take that as an indication you concur. “Right on” in this part of the world is generally used to indicate in a sarcastic way that you disagree with/doubt something that was said.
She will.
The little “I Love You’s” in kitchens will be a fond memory she’ll be telling her kids about in fourty four years.