"What I love about [baby dragon] is he has squishy hands and he has a cute laugh. What I love about [D2] is that he farts a lot and he is funny." - D1
This is a common answer from part of our bedtime routine. We don't do it everynight, but at least once a week each person tells the others something(s) they love about them. I started this years ago when I just had two little dragons. Usually its two things but the number I give out varies. The kids love hearing what everyone loves about them.
Benefits I've found...
The kids feel good about themselves. They know that certain things about themselves are valued by the ones they love the most. And though there are common themes, "I love when D1 plays with me." New things come out all the time. "I love the drawing that he made today because I was riding a dinosaur. He is good at drawing." The first few times they may be unsure of what to say. After giving them a few reminders like, "Remember how your brother shared his cookies with you today." They will be great at coming up with their own gems.
They know they are not just an individual but a valued member of the family. And, the bonds between the family members participating are strengthened. My boys bicker, compete and play fight a lot during the day. It is good for them to hear at the end of the day that they are loved.
They practice expressing their love verbally. Everyone's love language is different but I think we can all agree its a good thing to feel comfortable telling others you love how you feel.
Everyone experiences positive feelings before falling asleep. There are probably studies about the affects of positive thoughts and negative thoughts before you fall asleep. But intuitively we know its better to fall asleep on a positive note than stressful or anxious thoughts, so I'm not going to bother linking them here.
Mom guilt. I think this happens to a large percentage of moms. As soon as those sweet faces are sleeping, who plays the times in the day you should have had more patience over and over in their head? 🙋♀️ Hearing why your kids love you helps. Hearing, "What I love about mommy is . . ." And, knowing you told them why you love them may just help you sleep better too!
