Many people will have heard of the 5 love languages as written about by Dr Gary Chapman. Dr Chapman states there are 5 main love languages. These are
- Words of affirmation
- Acts of service
- Gifts
- Quality Time
- Physical touch.
It doesn't take too much effort to work out which one of these makes you feel great. It may be a combination of two or three but in general, one will be dominant. The trouble is that most of us act in ways to other people that are our preferred 'language'. Skilled communicators, parents, partners and business people learn that the easiest and fastest way to get someone on your side is to speak with them in their language. When interacting with your teenager, why not think about what their love language is. If yours is gifts and theirs is quality time, then gifts won't mean as much to them as time dedicated to just being together. Conversely, if your language is words of affirmation and theirs is physical touch, then if you are telling them how great they are they won't hear it as loudly as if you give them a hug or a pat on the back.
