It’s true- I am totally biased when it comes to this topic. But I think it’s something that really can affect our kids! I think other parents will be able to relate 😉
I have two kiddos. Andrew is 7 and Paige is 4. They love having my attention and they love hearing David and I tell them good job and that we’re proud of them. Every morning as I drop Drew off I tell him to have a wonderful day and that I love him; to which he responds as of a few weeks ago: “I knew that.” And he smiles at me and shuts the door as he runs inside. The first day he said it part of me immediately felt like I wanted to roll down the window and say ‘Hey Drew! You’re supposed to say ‘I love you, too!’ But then, the another voice inside my head said ‘maybe you’re doing this right if he knows you love him’. It’s a phase that I am sure will end – just like the other quirky things he says. I know he loves me- and I am so happy he knows I love him too.
We just moved into a new house. We absolutely love it! And we love it here in Manhattan. One of the first things I was excited to put on my hubby’s ‘honey do’ list was to hang our family photos! At this point, we have a lot. So I knew that it would be hard to find a place for an insane amount of 20×30 canvases. I love a few large pieces of art- but, our house is, for better or worse, not gigantic 😉 So, I made a grid of 27 6×6 blocks. It. Is. Awesome! And I can add to this collage- which I love.
My kids have spent SO much time looking at it. They ask about when they were a baby and they ask about mom and dad in the one from when we were 17, and they ask about our wedding day. And then, they always ask about themselves again. Paige loves to say ‘mom you loved me a lot when I was a tiny baby, right?’
They love seeing portraits of themselves in their grandparents’ houses as well. When they reference the photos, it always comes back to a statement of love.
Do I think that your kids won’t think you love them if you don’t have photos of them on display? Of course not. But, I DO think that having photos of them on display does reiterate that love. And, when they specifically see family portraits, it reminds them that they are a part of a little circle of people here on this Earth that loves them with their whole heart. That family photo would not be the same without them. And they belong. It’s a visual representation of what we tell them and how we feel.
So, print your portraits. Don’t let them live forever in a cyberland where you and your kids don’t get to enjoy them every day. Find happiness in looking at them and talk to your kids about them. They love it!
In case you’re interested in someone else’s take on this, check out the link below. It’s a good read!