I love you

[Qwerty]

How many of us tell our children we love them daughter came yesterday she is a larger than life girl but she dresses so well for her figure she looked beautiful she has almost waist length hair white blonde I told her she was beautiful and realised I don't often tell her, and although she knows I don't tell her I love her often enough, my DIL tells her mum when she says bye on the phone and its just like off the cuff bye love you and not meant truly to me. My son is 6ft 2in and slim he wears casual stuff at home but sometimes he picks the kids up and he is in his work suit it takes my breath away how smart he is , I might say you look smart but very rarely tell him I love him I am sure he knows but somehow unless its a special occasion I feel uncomfortable saying it why do I feel like this am I odd ?

[Libra Gran]

All the time Qwerty,but it took me years until I felt comfortable doing so.My parents were very undemonstrative and never said "I love you" Your not odd at all I think it all depends on how we were with our own parents. The grandkids I tell all the time how much I love them.

[Bizzy Lizzy]

I never put the phone down to my son or end a Skype call without saying I love you. My Mother used to do the same to me although I can't remember my Father ever saying it - but I somehow knew he did just the same. The grandchildren are growing up and GS is now ten but still says it occasionally. The last time was when he had been in a scuffle at school and got his coat torn. He was on the verge of tears and I sat him down with a cake and a drink and sewed his coat so the tear would never be seen. His "I love you Grandma" was fantastic. GD is 8 and says it when she is rushing off from the house - usually when she is half-way down the drive. It's such a precious phrase and worth all the money in the world.

[Qwerty]

Indeed it is BL I had a miserable childhood as did my OH and maybe that's why I find it difficult with my own children but must admit my eldest g/c tells me she loves me whenever she is on the phone it seems so natural to say I love you to my grandchildren perhaps I suppose its the price you pay for not being loved as a child I agree Libra my parents were not the best advertisement for happy families I am going to tell them more although they will probably say are you ok mum!

[Elisi]

I find it easy to say I love you to my GK's but not so much to my DD as we are both rather undemonstrative by nature. My adoptive mother was OTT emotionally and I grew to fear her outbursts. She could be so wise but you just never knew where you were with her. DD's father (my ex) is very closed-in. So although I am naturally effusive, I deliberately buried that part of my nature and now it is normal for me to hold back.

DD knows how much I love her, endless little things we say and do for each other prove that without words. However, one of the major blessings in having GK's is that I can let my full range come out and love them to pieces and never stop saying it and cuddling them. One such is that I tell my 8 year old she is 'the light of my life' which they both are but the 3 year old doesn't quite understand that as yet, so I use other words which match her age.

[Qwerty]

You mirror my exact feelings Elisi it must lovely to be in natural loving family but yes my children know I love them without question I adore my children that's for sure but those three words can be so elusive

[Elisi]

Nice to be able to share this with you Qwerty XXX

[Gemini]

I say it every time I part from my DDs, GC, my mum (and dad when he was here) I also say it when saying goodbye to them on the phone

Not everyone is comfortable with saying this, and it's not important when the love is there and the person knows you love them.

[Nanto2girls]

I also find it easier to say the granddaughters, so does hubby.I'm sure it's because of our upbringing.Both granddaughters say love you to both of us, even at the end of a text message.Youngest always says love you when she is going to bed.
I'm sure our kids know how much we love them, even if we don't say it.

[Oma]

I tell my children all the time I love them and my GC you just never know if its the last time you see them , I also text my sister every morning and end with I love you . My Brother ,my Sister and myself tell each other we love each other whenever we see each other , our parents never said it to us but we just knew we were very loved but I wish they had said it .
Just Friday gone Josh told me he loved me complete with a big hug , mind you I had just gave him a Chocolate Eclare Oliver tells us he loves us usually as hes going home

[ZIZI]

We are an "I love you" family. The boys hug and kiss Husband which I think is nice.

We had a friend who was in one of the the twin towers. His mother has always said she regrets not telling him she loved him the last time she spoke to him which was the night before. We always say "I love you" before we go out of the house with a little kiss if the other one is asleep specifically so we will never have that regret. Joe in particular is very cuddly with Granddad and has no problems with showing his affection when we are he but won't do it in front of others. big roughy toughy boy that one.......

[Daisy]

Qwerty, I grew up never being close to my mother, and she never told me she loved me. Therefore I never said it to her either. I've always been demonstrative with my sons - I didn't want them to doubt that I love them. But as they got older and I had to stand on tiptoe to get them a hug, I said it less, if ever. Then I did a course, the sort of thing that teaches you to be a coach for your own life, and 'homework' one day was to phone your family and tell them that you loved them, absolutely and unconditionally and that they didn't have to do anything to make me proud of them, it was enough for them just to be. My big, tough teenagers got the message and the next time I saw them, they both gave me a huge hug and said it was fantastic to get that call. I often say 'love you' in a fairly casual way, but sometimes I make a big thing of it and tell them properly, and how lucky I am to have them.

So I'd say tell them. Put your reserve on one side and just say it in a way they can have no doubt about. They will hear that you mean it and I bet they will remember it forever. It's not too late to ring them tonight!!! xx

[Mimi]

I find it very easy to tell my two DS and DD and GC that I love them . I alao have a great relationship with DIL and I tell her I love her .SIL is slightly different, he is far more reserved, DD told me his mother isn't a very 'cuddle type of mum ' so perhaps that's why.
My one DS is a builder, very muscular, shaved head , has a gym built in his garage which he uses every day. You get the picture, very much a mans man but every now and again I get a text message from him and it says
"I love you mummy" 😌

[Qwerty]

Thanks ladies for you thoughts I agree we don't know if we will ever see them again I should know that after my friend lost her son a couple of weeks ago , you have given me food for thought xx

[Plantaholic]

I am very much an "I Love You" person and mean it, this is mainly with the grandchildren. My eldest GD comes in most evenings before she goes to bed and gives me a hug and says I love you GM and I usually reply, not as much as I love you.

I am going to make you cry now by telling you they were the last words my OH and I said to each other before he fell into a coma. He wasn't a very demonstrative person but I think he knew we wouldn't be saying it again