to ask you what you love most about your kid(s)

[QueenNefertitty]

Just seen an awful thread about a kid being sworn at in public (promise this isn't a TAAT)....

it made me feel rotten, and for some reason I started thinking about DS and all the things I love about him, listing all the ways he makes my heart swell. I wanted to share them, and thought other people might want to too...

theres always so much turmoil and worry about parenting/ kids/ child development on MN - it seemed like a nice Friday night jolly thread - hopefully not too mushy from me!

Anyway, DS is 18 mo, and the things that tug my heartstrings the most are-

The way he tries to put my face cream on my face and rub it in for me

The way he says 'Mama' when he's tired and wants to breastfeed

The way he offers me his food on a fork if I finish mine first, with a very intent look on his face

The way he stands on my feet and asks for 'a dance'

The way he sniffs tubs of playdough with a big inhale like its a delicate, savoury bouquet

The hand movement he does when he sees a fish in a picture book, or in real life (like a one handed clap)

The way he reaches out to hold my hand when we're setting off walking outside

The way he waves goodbye and shouts 'BYYYYYEEEE' AFTER someone's already left (never before)

The way DS (14 months) snuggles in to the crook of my neck.

The fact that he smiles so much when he sees me, even if I've only been away from him for an hour or so.

When he reaches for a hug.

How sociable he is, especially with other babies/toddlers.

His little, peaceful face when he's sleeping

His 'mmm" expressions when he's eating!

My oldest is 22, and she's had her problems over the last few years (serious problems, not "I broke a nail... wah!" problems), and there have been a few times when I've thought that I'd lost her forever. So, I love her determination to get things right, her work ethic, her creativity, her surprisingly gentle nature around babies and young children (even though she claims to hate them!), her genuine, deep-seated love for her brother, the way she lets our elderly cat walk all over her, the way she asks our pup for a dance, the way she leaves her tea-bags on the draining board, the way she has slotted neatly back into the hole she unwittingly made in our family.

My youngest is 13 and I love the way he adores his big sister (even though she frightened him), the way he crawls into my bed in a morning before school for a cuddle and the tired "love you, Mum" he mumbles as he does so, the way he is around his younger half-sister and -brother, the love he has for his stepmother (when he could very easily have taken against her), the gentleness of his nature, his collections of toy cars and stamps, the way he holds his hens and accepts that our rooster is never going to like him, and above all, I love the fact that our elderly dog is genuinely his best friend.

I love my children's quiet assertiveness when people try to push them around, the confidence they have in themselves, the fact that people still constantly tell me how polite and generous they both are with their time and sympathetic to the plight of others (my daughter regularly pays for the person behind her's ticket on the bus, or their coffee in town, and I daresay my son will, one day, too). I love the way they get lost in whatever project they're working on, I love the fact that when they need my lap to sit on and a cuddle whilst they cry... they both know that it'll be there for them, no matter what. I love the fact that they both still hold my hand in public, I love the fact that my son cleared a pathway through the snow for me to get to the chickens yesterday without being asked, I love the fact that they know, without doubt, how deeply and irrevocably I love them.

Now their bedrooms, I'm afraid, are another matter...

Thank you for this thread, OP.

My children are much older, 23 &21.

DS1 is a soldier. He’s very fit, very muscly and excellent at his job, but as soon as he comes home he’s my boy again. He’ll wrap himself in a crochet blanket and watch junk on the tele. He absolutely adores our hamster and Guinea Pigs. Yesterday he had a Guinea Pig snoozing in his dressing gown with the same contented smile on his face that he used to have as a 6yo. It just melted me.

I love that DS2 is the most kind, caring, gentle and respectful young man. I’m disabled and he used to lie on my bed next to me, stroking my head, when I was really unwell. He’s just about to graduate as a nurse and he’s amazing at it.

I love that my boys are best friends and they’ve never been afraid to tell me they love me, or give me a kiss in front of their friends.

I love this thread.

I love the way toddler DS cheers when I go into his bedroom each morning.

I love the way he strokes my face when I'm reading him a bed time story.

I love the way he shouts 'mummy!' when he can hear me in another room.

I love the way his head smells after he's been in the sun all day.

Although growing up rapidly, my ds still loves his cuddles and strokes his toy bunnies ears when tired. It makes up for all the times when he's being a lickle monster.

Do is 14. I admire and respect him as well as loving him quite desperately. He is ridiculously mature and careful of other people's feelings. He is super sensible but also loves stupid dancing and giggling with his friends. He had to walk with me behind his father's coffin ten days ago, and it felt like we were an unbreakable team. (He's also very good looking and has a lovely girlfriend...)

This is a lovely thread!

For me it's the way my 5 month old DD stops half way through a bf to look up and smile at me before she carries on.

H̥ͦe̥ͦr̥ͦ d̥ͦe̥ͦt̥ͦe̥ͦr̥ͦm̥ͦi̥ͦn̥ͦḁͦt̥ͦi̥ͦo̥ͦn̥ͦ ḁͦn̥ͦd̥ͦ p̥ͦe̥ͦr̥ͦs̥ͦe̥ͦr̥ͦv̥ͦe̥ͦr̥ͦe̥ͦn̥ͦc̥ͦe̥ͦ
H̥ͦe̥ͦr̥ͦ w̥ͦi̥ͦc̥ͦk̥ͦe̥ͦd̥ͦ s̥ͦe̥ͦn̥ͦs̥ͦe̥ͦ o̥ͦf̥ͦ h̥ͦu̥ͦm̥ͦo̥ͦu̥ͦr̥ͦ
I̥ͦ l̥ͦo̥ͦv̥ͦe̥ͦ h̥ͦe̥ͦḁͦr̥ͦi̥ͦn̥ͦg̥ͦ h̥ͦe̥ͦr̥ͦ c̥ͦḁͦc̥ͦk̥ͦl̥ͦi̥ͦn̥ͦg̥ͦ ḁͦw̥ͦḁͦy̥ͦ w̥ͦi̥ͦt̥ͦh̥ͦ h̥ͦe̥ͦr̥ͦ m̥ͦḁͦt̥ͦe̥ͦs̥ͦ
H̥ͦe̥ͦr̥ͦ d̥ͦr̥ͦḁͦw̥ͦi̥ͦn̥ͦg̥ͦs̥ͦ
H̥ͦe̥ͦr̥ͦ s̥ͦi̥ͦn̥ͦg̥ͦi̥ͦn̥ͦg̥ͦ. S̥ͦh̥ͦe̥ͦ's̥ͦ ḁͦl̥ͦw̥ͦḁͦy̥ͦs̥ͦ s̥ͦi̥ͦn̥ͦg̥ͦi̥ͦn̥ͦg̥ͦ
H̥ͦe̥ͦr̥ͦ s̥ͦh̥ͦḁͦr̥ͦp̥ͦ i̥ͦn̥ͦt̥ͦe̥ͦl̥ͦl̥ͦi̥ͦg̥ͦe̥ͦn̥ͦc̥ͦe̥ͦ
S̥ͦh̥ͦe̥ͦ w̥ͦi̥ͦl̥ͦl̥ͦ t̥ͦr̥ͦy̥ͦ n̥ͦe̥ͦw̥ͦ f̥ͦo̥ͦo̥ͦd̥ͦs̥ͦ
S̥ͦh̥ͦe̥ͦ's̥ͦ 11

The way my 16yr old DD never leaves the house or ends a phone call without telling me she loves me - just in case it's the last chance she ever gets (even when with a group of friends)

My DS has just turned 4 , he's non stop talking about anything and everything . It's great to have a full conversation with him now ! He's been talking since he was 2 but now it's like speaking with a little adult.

The things he comes out with - he woke me up the other morning by whispering ''mummy you're my princess '' , I swear my heart melted right there and then.

The way they all shout 'hurrah' when I say they can have a bag of crisps with a movie after dinner or something equally simple.

Lovely thread.

My 18 year old, such a kind sensitive soul, old for his years, but in such a sensible way. So very proud of him, didn't succumb to very obvious peer pressure, his best friend of a number of years is going down the wrong path, the things that he has tried to do for his friend, to try to guide him... but to no avail. It is very hard to walk away from a situation like this, with some vitriol thrown and you, but for ds to take it in his stride, and know that he remains sensible. But having lost a good friend is difficult to deal with, but he has.

My 15 year old dd, really is a miracle child. Really, as in that we nearly lost her due to illness. At such a young age, and to have gone through the things that she has, she amazes me every single day.

I would like to take credit for how they turned out, but I know it is their own strength that has got them where they are.

I think to myself when people say that teens are awful and horrible etc.... that I was truly blessed.

I am single mum to them. We are a team and we do things together. We all help each other, build one another up, and allow each other free space when need be.

Oh and my 2 yr old saying completely unprompted 'I love you mummy' or 'I love my baby brother' and hugging the life out of us. My older ones never did this with such gusto.