I was clearing out my husband truck and found the CD set of Gary Chapman–The Five Love Languages for Children (he also has one for marriages).  I remember listening to it a couple of years ago before the CD set too up residence in the truck.  I know my husband listened to it and I was grateful for that.  I think we should probably listen to it again–maybe together this time?

The premise of the book is that we all respond more to a certain Love Languages and they are:

Quality Time

Receiving Gifts

Words of Affirmation

Acts of Service

Physical Touch

So I wanted to share my top ten ideas of Quality Time.

1. Building Legos–especially with my youngest who has some fine motor skill issues–he loves it so much when I build him a car.  The simplest thing is huge for him.
2. Finding time each day to spend one-on-one time with each kid–when I was changing diapers this was easy . . . but now it takes a little more effort.  I’ll help them brush their teeth–alone in the bathroom–in our house just having 1 other person in the bathroom with you is a treat!
3. I try to find time to walk/ride bikes/play soccer with my big kid–he needs to move so our activities involve movement.  His favorite thing about this summer is when we snuck off to the water park by ourselves–just us and a water slide.
4. Craft time–the girls are working on cross stitch and I do enjoy helping them and they enjoy getting better at it.
5. A family concert.  We all sit and listen to each child play.  We clap, they bow and everyone feels good.
6. Taking just one kid to the grocery store.  or the doctor’s office or the ER.
7. Having quiet time together.  Just “being” with each other.
8. Having the kids “teach” me something–like Angry Birds–which I am still horrible at playing.
9. Reading a book that they choose.  We read a LOT but often it is to accomplish something and not for “fun”.  Even if it is a book I’ve read 1000 times.
10. My favorite quality time is when I’m at the cabin–I’m in my chair overlooking the lake, with a hot cup of coffee and a little kid gets up and snuggles down in my “nest” and then falls asleep again.  I treasure that quiet moment watching a bigger kid sleep–feeling their heartbeat, listening to them breath.  It takes me back to those middle of the night feedings where the world just stops and it is just me and my baby.

I remember when my daughter was about 2 and I was big as a barn pregnant again . . . I was trying to get her down for a nap and the phone rang–“Momma, momma the phone!” and I told her that she was more important than the phone.  The look on her face was pure joy!  She felt like she was the most important person in the world.

I want my kids to feel that way everyday.  I want to greet them each morning with a smile.  I want them to know how much they matter to me!

Disclaimer:  I am not perfect and I totally lose it on some days (or really any time we need to get in the car).  Each moment we are given another opportunity to show our kids how much we love them.

I’m linking up to these blogs–check them out!

On Your Heart
Soli Deo Gloria
Hip Homeschool Moms
Top {Ten} Tuesday
What I Learned This Week
Titus 2sdays
Teach Me Tuesday
Domestically Divine
Heart and Home Linkup