The "I Love You Game"

"I Love You" is one of those phrases that some people have no problem saying and others people will only say it at certain times or sometimes not at all. Of all the things I want to teach my kids, letting them know I love you (and that it's ok to say it) is up there in importance to me.

  So I started the "I Love You Game". It all started with an adorable book I found and read to my daughter called "I Love you All the Time". The story goes through the different places and times during the parents average day and each time indicating "I love you all the time".  I loved reading this to her and telling her how much I loved her. In jest, I would say to each of my kids, "Do I love you all the time or sometimes?" which they would reply "All the time!"

This lead to a game that I started where we would try to catch each other off guard and say I love you.  Usually I would start with "Hey, Maya" or "Hey, Michael" (as if to tell them something important) and they would answer "What?" and I'd just say "I love you!".   Now when I play the game they often beat me to the punch, instead of answering "What?" the  say with a smile "You love me!".  But sometimes I still catch them off guard or they catch me off guard.  I got my husband involved in the game too, which is so sweet.

What's your take on the words "I love you?". Are they hard to say or do you share them with the ones you love every day???

Maureen Umehara

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