Do you tell your moody/attitudey teens that you love them?

[Vestinium]

Just wondering about this as I say I love you to my children as a habit every night as I say goodnight to them. My fourteen year old (dd, if that makes a difference) usually never responds, but I say it anyway. Today I jokingly repeated it, louder, to which she said ok. It felt pointed and made me feel really hurt. She never says she loves me.

It also made me a bit mad. Like I was some needy slave begging everyday for affection from the master . Don't get me wrong, as a mum of teenagers I know to have a thick skin and ignore their nonsense, but I am human too.

How does it go in your home?

Haven't ftft but I also say this to my children every night and when I leave for work (well, when I didn't wfh!). I come from a home where no-one ever said 'I love you', and I think it's important they hear it, especially when they're moody, grumpy, annoying as hell teens. When they say 'ok' or 'I know' instead of saying it back (it happens, occasionally with added eye-roll) sometimes it hurts, but mainly I think they're lucky to be able to take it so for granted. It's a sign of security in that love, which is a good thing. But yeah. Teenagers are bloody annoying a lot of the time...

i tell my kids 16 and 11 , 16 yr old def not interested and wont reply, but does say it back on the phone to me, and to his grandparents when they call, so i think just the habit of hearing it makes you more likely to say it to others in due course