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This article adapted from Playful Post Pinellas County Please look through the issue & reply to playfulpost@gmail.com.
Showing Love Every Day… Beyond Valentine’s
How can you show Love to everyone in your life every day?
1. Use plenty of positive words. Try to avoid using sarcasm.
2. Respond promptly and lovingly to physical and emotional needs.
Banish put-downs from your vocabulary. Be available to listen when he/she wants to talk with you.
3. When someone is angry, argumentative or in a bad mood, offer him or her a hug, cuddle, pat, secret sign or other gesture of affection he favors and then talk with him about it when he’s feeling better.
4. Make plans to spend time together doing something he or she enjoys.
If there are several people, break up into Quality Time Pairs for an hour.
5. Mark family game nights on your calendar so the entire family can be together.
Put a different family member’s name under each date, and have that person choose which game will be played.
6. Go to the park, zoo, or aquarium.
Watching or playing with an animal can make people, feel better by stimulating physical activity, enhancing their overall attitude, and offering constant companionship of a pet.
7. Cook together; encourage good food choices by cooking together.
Get involved in the entire process, from planning the menus to shopping for ingredients to the actual food preparation and its serving. It is wonderful when families eat together as much as possible. Good food, good conversations.
8. Strengthen bonds through strengthening health- body, mind and spirit.
Create active routines in your daily life by going to bicycle rides together, or practice Rollerblading, walking, yoga, sports and other athletics together. Go to the library, find & read books about your hobbies together.
9. Foster positive relationships with friends, siblings and members of the community. Volunteer together.
10. Don’t forget to say, “I love you” to children of all ages!
For counseling and mental health appointments in the Orlando, Winter Park areas, call 407.835.3673