My ten year old is a rather precocious child. However, I think like all ten year old girls, she is at times a bit hard to figure out. For a while she was going through a phase where she would randomly ask me, “Mommy do you love me?” As a mom of four wonderful (and spirited) children, I often find myself juggling the needs of two or more at the same time. So, as it would happen, very often I would give her a mindless response, such as “sure I do honey” or “of course” or sometimes I would try to be silly and tell her, “well, I guess I do a little bit.” She did not seem amused.
I didn’t really give much thought as to these brief interactions. Then, on one particular day she says to me, “Mommy, do you love me?” and I responded (a bit more exacerbated than I intended) “you know I do!” She then said something that hit me like a ton of bricks. It literally stopped me in my tracks (and made me tear up a little.) She said, “I know you love me Mommy. Sometimes I just like to hear you say it.” She taught me, rather reminded me of a great parenting lesson. Listen to your children, consider where they are coming from and think about their intentions. And if you’re unsure – ask!
