Showing you love someone the other 364 days a year

16 Feb Showing you love someone the other 364 days a year

Well Valentine’s Day has come and gone. All the chocolates are now on sale; and for someof us, it is time to stock up on the discounted chocolates.  Valentine’s Day has got me thinking though.  It’s got me thinking about all the other days of the year.  Yes, it is wonderful that we have one specific day to demonstrate to our loved ones, just how much we love them. We get to shower them with jewels, flowers, notes of love and chocolate. That day is done but the opportunity to show our love is not gone. We have 364 other days in a year that we can show our love to our partner, children, family, and friends.  Here are some ideas how to spread your love throughout the year.

10 ways to show love to your partner throughout the year:

1. Cook their favourite meal. Or take their likes and dislikes into consideration when cooking.
2. Leave love notes on the mirror. Leave notes of encouragement, love, or private jokes.
3. Plan a special secret date… hopefully more than one !
4. Spend some time having eye contact with your partner. Silent eye contact helps to build bonds, and helps to read each other’s body language through their eyes. While doing this, remember 3 things that you first fell in love with about your partner.
5. Snuggle with no other expectations than to enjoy each other’s company. Yes, it can be done!
6. Listen to your spouse. Listen to understand, not to respond. It’s also great to ask your partner if they need your help to solve a problem, or if they just need someone to listen. This helps with keeping clear communication.
7. Walk hand –in-hand.
8. Give a kiss and or hug before you leave the house each day.
9. Talk, talk, talk. When we talk to our partner, it should not always be about chores or bill payments. Encourage talk that re-connects you to your partner. Remember when…stories are great starters.
10. Try a new activity together, that you can learn together. This shows your willingness to grow and connect with your partner in new ways.

Ten ways to show love to your children every day of the year:

1. Leave them little notes in their school planner, or in their lunch box.
2. Hug them every day!!!
3. Tell them you love them, every day!!!
4. Snuggle with them. They will appreciate the closeness with their parents, as well as the time you are taking to spend with them.
5. Eat dinner as a family every single night! Dinner time is a great opportunity to connect as a family. We always ask each other for: “1 awesome thing that happened today, 1 not so great thing that happened today, and 1 adventure that you have had today. “
6. Turn off the phones, tablets, computers, and televisions! This allows for the opportunity to spend some time with each other interacting face to face and building social skills while we are at it. Family board game nights are great for this!
7. Admit your mistakes. This may be very difficult for some of us to do, but it very important. Admitting our mistakes helps our kids know that we are human and make mistakes too, and that we love them enough to be honest with them.
8. Do activities with your children that interest them. Yes, this may mean that you have to listen to them talk endlessly about Minecraft, Pokémon, or the latest kid craze; but it will mean the world to them.
9. Let loose once in a while. Toss the chore list aside, and have a fun night. Have a family dance party, with strobe lights, and party food.
10. Surprise them! Maybe surprise them with their favourite snack after school, or throw them a surprise party. Let them know that you think about them, even when they aren’t hanging off your legs.

5 Ways to show love to your family and friends throughout the year:

1. Call them. Our lives are always busy; however, taking time to call and let someone know that you are thinking about them shows just how much you care.
2. Send them a letter, postcard, or something special that reminds you of them. It’s even better if it’s hand made by you.
3. Visit them. Our time is not endless, and sometimes we need to create free time to spend time with those that we love!
4. Help someone out when they are in need, without it needing to be reciprocated.
5. Invite a different friend or family over for Sunday lunch. Connecting over food is always great!