If you have yet to hear of Love Languages for Kids, you might be curious about the concept. Introduced by Gary Chapman and Dr. Ross Campbell, the five love languages outline how we express and experience love with friends and family. Everyone has a different hierarchy of which of the 5 love languages for kids are most meaningful to them, including:

• Words of Affirmation
• Quality Time
• Receiving Gifts
• Acts of Service
• Physical Touch

To discover your child's love language, try experimenting with each and notice how they respond. It can also be insightful to pay attention to how your child shows love to you, which is likely how they want to receive love from you. Creating art together can be an effective way to fulfill all five love languages with your child.

Words of Affirmation

When your child asks, 'Mom, do you like my picture?' Take the opportunity to praise them for their effort, aligning with their love language for kids. Instead of saying, 'Good job!', try asking, 'Can you tell me about your painting?' or, 'I notice you used lots of blue. Is that your favorite color?'. These comments will encourage further discussion, giving your child a sense of pride and success.

Quality Time

With so many electronic devices always distracting us, a real effort has to be made for family time, especially when considering the importance of quality time and love languages for kids. Did you know quality time with children, aligned with their 5 love languages for kids, has a measurable impact on their emotional well-being, behavior, and academic success? If the thought of a messy project concerns you, Loomini offers 12 sets of washable tempera paints.

After all, messy play is essential to children's learning of self-expression. Try mixing the paints with shaving cream to decorate windows outside the house! A quick spray from the garden hose will make cleanup a breeze, and the paints won't irritate your child's skin.

Receiving Gifts

Your child sees gifts as a special moment and a symbol of your love. A spontaneous gift is even better than an expected birthday or holiday gift. Your child will appreciate details like how it is wrapped, your reaction as they open their gift, and the thought behind it. Loomini offers a variety of gift ideas, from a rock painting kit for young creatives to a premium painting kit for more mature artists.

Acts of Service

Children who show love through service love it when you help them with their projects and activities. Helping your child put on their smock, mix colors, master their brush strokes, and decide what to paint will make them feel loved. Be sure to help them in a way that encourages them to develop independence. Asking them to help with cleanup will give them the opportunity to reciprocate their love for you and feel proud of themselves while doing so.

Physical Touch

Hugs, kisses, high-fives, and pats on the back may fill your child's love tank more than gifts or praise. If this is your child, they feel secure and belong just by being close to you. When your child gifts their finished masterpiece, thank them with a hug or other affection to make them feel loved.

Knowing your child's primary love language will help you bring out the best in them. Children's attitudes, behavior, and development flourish when genuinely loved. As Chapman writes, 'Your child, like a flower, will benefit from your love. When the water of love is given, your child will bloom and bless the world with beauty.' Cultivate that beauty through the fun and excitement of creating art with your child with Loomini.

Why Are Love Languages Important?

Have you ever been to a country where the language you didn't know? Or even a country where you spoke the language, but the idea of putting food in "the boot" made no sense to you? It's so annoying when people don't get what you mean, just like misinterpreting love languages for kids can lead to misunderstandings in relationships.

Imagine if we had these same "language barriers" in our closest relationships when we were trying to show love. It is important to know how our loved ones, including children, want to be loved. Utilizing a love language test for kids can help us show and accept love in ways that make our relationships with the people around us, especially children, stronger and more meaningful.

Parents, please! If you speak and understand your child's language, making them feel loved is much easier.

Learn About Your Child's Love Language

How can you tell which love languages for kids your child speaks best? Here are a few hints that might help you find it:

• Pay attention to what your child asks for the most. Most kids aren't afraid to say what they like and don't like. As you learn to understand what your child wants, you may be able to hear his main way of showing love.
• Listen to what your child complains about the most. You might be surprised by the effects when you stop to think about his whining and complaining. He might be upset about one of the five love languages.
• Watch how your child shows you they love you. Pay close attention to the languages you need to speak better.
• Put your child in situations where they can choose between two ways to show love. Your child's main love language may be the one he picks most often.
• Look at how your child shows love to other people. How does your child act with the kids and people he shows the most affection toward?

Bottom Line

The reason you should learn your child’s love languages for kids is so that you can connect with them more deeply. It can help them build their self-worth, which is important for self-love and confidence. This principle is true for people of all ages and stages of growth.

Understanding your love language and how it may differ from your child's and partner's will help you develop strong, lifelong family bonds and relationships built on unconditional love and understanding. Visit Loomini Learning and learn more about how to create a safe space for your child. We also have different sensory toys to enhance your child's creativity.