At our house we have 2 (adopted) kids that struggle showing and even accepting Love. This is an ongoing lesson in our home as we try to take every chance we can to point out Love. About 2 years ago, I went to the Love chapter in the Bible and put it down at their level. All my kids have this memorized and it had helped us in teaching them. The following is how we say it and below you will find a creative, fun way we put that Love in action, again on their level.
1 Corinthians 13...our version.
"Love never gives up. I doesn't mind waiting happily.
Love cares more about others. It isn't me first. It isn't my way.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. No gimme hands.
Love waits to be invited.
Love has self control. It doesn't yell. Its doesn't hit. It doesn't pout. And it doesn't spit.
And it never, never, never, never, never throws a fit!
Love doesn't brag. It doesn't have to be the best.
Love doesn't like to see others get in trouble.
Love doesn't like to see other get upset.
Love takes pleasure in telling the truth.
Love puts up with anything.
And trust God with everything."
In our house we ask each night at bedtime "how did someone show love to you today" and how did you show love to someone else". We stepped up the game to try and get the little ones more involved.
We all sat down and decorated paper lunch bags however we wanted, kind of like a valentines box. Then I gave each member of the family 12 little squares of card stock. We all picked a color and colored all 12 of our cards that color.
Now each day, we look for ways to show love to each other. Whenever we do, we put 1 of our colored cards in that person's bag. Before bed, we all look in our bags, one at a time, and say the names of all the people that did an act of love for us that day.
I have enjoyed this for a few reasons:
It's cheap and easy. I have less than $5 invested in this and we can keep using the same pieces everyday. (Each night I put all the colored cards back into a bowl so we just reuse the same ones.)
It isn't something materialistic that my kids can confuse with Love. The act itself is the gift!
It is something they do all day, not just at bedtime.
They get to see how happy they made someone.
The kids have loved this and are really looking for ways to Love on one another.
***As a bonus, sometimes I provide M&M's for each time their card was pulled out of someone's bag that evening. I don't tell them ahead of time when I am doing it so it a little extra LOVE for those that went out of their way to show LOVE that day.***
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