Childhood Do Most Parents Tell Their Kids They Love Them?

[Peach]

My family wasn't abusive at all. As a kid, my parents said I love you pretty often; leaving for school, bedtime, and everywhere in between. But it wasn't said between siblings. As we've all gotten older that has waned from the parents side and is more common between my brothers and sisters. However, it's still only said when parting ways from a family gathering or hanging up a phone call. Not everyone has joined in.

However, we've never been a hugging family, perhaps due to the sweltering Florida Panhandle heat and no AC. More physically inclined people have married into the family and after 15 years of readjusting our thinking, we have now added hugs when we're leaving those family gatherings. But never any other time! And usually we don't make a big deal out of hugging, but every now and then, someone will grumble and say, "Alright, let's hug I guess" and then you receive a lightning quick, one armed embrace. LOL

 

[Digz]

My parents never said it. Occasionally as a very little kid I would say it to my mum and then she would say it back (although it wasn't really believable!) They were also never physically affectionate - no hugging etc.
With my son - I tell him I love him several times or more a day and I hug him all the time. I think if it's absent from your life as a child and you know what it feels like to wonder if your parents actually do love you, because they never say - then you often want to change that for your child.
Personally, I think a child needs to be told they are loved quite frequently and they need to know that this will never change no matter the mistakes they make throughout life. I also believe that physical affection is important and becoming more lacking in many areas of society, sometimes due to rules like teachers not being able to hug kids etc. and I think this is sad. We need to role model and teach our children positive emotional affection. Anyway, that's just my opinion.

 

[Emmie420]

I get it rarely as an adult, never as a child...

 

[TonyG]

I'm in my 50's and often tell my kids I love them, My Father was from a different generation and never hugged or kissed us kids, My mum always did, I had a normal upbringing and feel like I was loved.

 

[kaley]

I'm in my thirties now, I tell my daughter I love her regularly, and vice versa.

My parents never said th...

My parents never told me they loved me until i went into fostor care i was abused mentally, phsically and sexually i went into fostor care when i was 9 seperated from both my brothers. After i went into cas my mom would say oh im so sorry i love you and id shrug it off like no you dont. If you loved me so much then why the f are we in foster care. You abused us neglected us ect. And now your saying you love me? I was in fostor care for 9 years bumped from home to home most of my fostor homes being terrible the fostor parents were abusive and didnt pay attention to my needs so most the time i would isolate myself and hide in my room taking to my cat because i had no one else to talk too. I left fostor care when i was 18 i moved home with my grama i lived with her for 4 years before she passed away my grama was the mom i never had she was always so loving and caring and she was always there for me and my brothers i was crushed the day she passed away and im still trying hard to face life without her. I live with post traumatic stress, seperation anxiety, and depression. Other then my hubby being there for me i face this battle alone. Im closer to my mom now that we have both gotten older she has slightly changed but we still dont quite see eye to eye. But shes my mom and i love her no matter what.

 

[Heather]

I tell my daughter I love her all the time.

 

[Chris Giddings]

My mom did, but my dad didn't until we were at the airport and I was due to board to go to boot cam...

Wow.
I didn't know my father and myother dropped myself and 2 sisters off with our emotionaly abusive grandparents.
7 years later Mother returned.
Non of them ever told me they lover me. Ever.
Sad people , very stuck, I forgive them, just trying to keep the courage and earn how to give and recieve trust and love.

 

[sedna]

Most parents, even bad ones tell their children that they love them.

It sounds and is very dated that a British lifestyle would prevent that.

But I know that it still does regularly.

I have spent half of my life in Europe.

I wish I could tell your parents off and give you a hug.

 

[anonymous]

I still wonder if "love" just means "attachment"

I'm attached to you

Imprinted?

 

[Naoru]

My parents did tell me they loved me from time to time, but never that they were proud of me. I hear it more as an adult, but it falls on deaf ears.

Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse ran rampant. Makes things ...confusing. Trying to expand my thoughts on this, but my mind won't let me go there.

I am trying to break the cycle now.

 

[sedna]

I still wonder if "love" just means "attachment"

I'm attached to you

Imprinted?

No.

Love feels like a fondness that you cant help but feel.

Attachment feels like safety attached to a person or situation.

 

[anonymous]

Ok :oops: I think there's something wrong with me then.