Two major characteristics of the transition from toddlerhood to preschoolerdom are a child’s improved communication and her awareness of other people. A preschooler is beginning to understand that Mommy is a distinct person, and has yet to develop any shame in expressing his love for her. These kids say, “I love you.” And it melts my heart. Every. Time.
When my daughters were 4.5 years old, I wrote the following post:
This morning, J woke before M and Daddy. She climbed into my lap on the couch, where I was folding laundry. She curled up, buried her head in her blankie, and let me hold her.
J: I love you.
Me: Oh, honey, I love you too. I love you so much that sometimes my heart fills up all the way and my chest hurts.
J: My heart fills up with love too. We must have the same heart.Later, M walked nonchalantly into the my room as I got dressed for my day.
Me: I love you, M.
M: I love you, Mommy.
Me: I love you a whole lot.
M: I know how much you love me.
Me: You do!?
M: You love me … I love you one hundred … one hundred twenty miles away!
Those of you with younger kids, you can look forward to this.
What do your children do to melt your heart?
Sadia (rhymes with Nadia) has been coordinating How Do You Do It? since late 2012. She is the divorced mother of 7-year-old monozygotic twins, M and J. She lives with them and their 3 cats in the Austin, TX suburbs and works full time as a business analyst. She retired her personal blog, Double the Fun, when the girls entered elementary school and also blogs at Adoption.com and Multicultural Mothering.
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Don’t be surprised if this happens earlier either. My daughter was able to say “I love you” and mean it around 2.5. And now at 3.5 she says it spontaneously and can embellish
I LOVE LOVE LOVE that my daughters (nearing 4) tell me they love me ALL the time, and sincerely, and randomly. They’ll often just get my attention, “Mom! Hey, Mom!” and when I ask “What?” They smile and say “I love you.”
Melt. My. Heart!
My favorite line of A’s is, “I love you to infinity and back times a million-billion-trillion!” Both my girls are very loving, and although I typically consider B to be the more verbal, my A is more lavishing with her I love you’s.
