What are “I Love You” Rituals?

“I Love You” rituals are activities that create deep emotional bonds with our children. They include eye contact, touch, play, and being in the moment.  They can be as simple as enjoying a favorite finger play like “This Little Piggy” or they can be rituals that you create together just for your family or your child!

These rituals are not just for babies! These playful games are ideal for all young children because of the social-emotional benefits to your child’s health and brain development.

Why?
  • Human connection creates neural connections in the brain (they grow your child’s brain).
  • The health of a child’s relationships with others is THE VITAL LINK to academic success.
  • Promote learning and literacy
  • Increase attention span and cooperation. Research suggests that when families add 4 ILYR’s into their child’s day, the child’s attention span can increase by as much as 50%.
  • Decrease power struggles
  • Enhance self-esteem through permanent brain chemistry changes
  • Integrate the brain (force the sides of the brain to talk to each other and strengthen those connections)
How?
  • Try including a rocking time ‘I Love You’ ritual in your bedtime routine.
  • Add a finger play during bath time, like “I Can Wiggle” from Kindermusik Sing & Play “I Can Do It” Album.
  • Sing ‘Goodnight Baby…. It’s time to go to sleep’ (to the tune of Goodbye Babies, and using your child’s name).

Parent Resource:

We created a playlist of favorite “I Love You” Rituals for families to enjoy at home.
View them here on our YouTube channel.

In summary, I Love Your Rituals are delightful, musical activities that parents can use to play with their child from infancy through 8 years of age. They send a message of unconditional acceptance and love while also boosting your child’s brain. These activities are designed to increase your child’s attention span and cooperation. When used consistently over time, they can actually change your child’s brain chemistry (literally). I Love Your Rituals increase your child’s learning potential and effectiveness through touch while also building strong bonds that lay the foundation for mental and emotional health.

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