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affirmations

i promise you, john locked himself in
the shower and i did *not* put him there.
our sunday school class recently studied the five love languages. it's something my husband and i had discussed before, but like most marriage improvement/enrichment exercises, it's always nice to revisit it and see if you have any new insight. 

(if you're not familiar with the five love languages, the theory is basically that every individual has a primary way in which they give and receive love. those ways include touch, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, and quality time. the idea is that if you figure out which means the most to your partner and offer that to them, and they do the same for you, the end result is a better-functioning relationship.)

one of the interesting parts of this discussion with our class was the topic of your children's love languages. from an early age, the theory goes, you can learn how to help your children feel fulfilled and loved by identifying which love language(s) mean(s) the most to them.

when my husband and i thought about john, we decided we might have to just observe him over the next couple years, because at this young age he is mostly a mimic and it's hard to tell what means the most to him.

until ...

saturday, our family had a rare treat: we ALL took a three-hour nap in the afternoon. when i woke up to hear john babbling in his crib, i went to go get him.

when i walked into the room, he stood up in his bed and clapped while he cheered, "yay, mommy! you did it!"

i have no idea what it is that i accomplished, but damn did it feel good to be championed like that!

over the course of the rest of the weekend, we couldn't help noticing how often john cheers, says "yay!", applauds our efforts, says "good job, buddy" to the dog, or any number of other variations.

so, while we'll keep watching for adaptations, it seems pretty safe to say that right now, words of affirmation are tops on john's love language list.

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