As Valentine’s Day approaches, it’s a great time to talk about integrating I Love You Rituals, a meaningful, evidence-based practice into your home, classroom or school building. I Love You Rituals help foster self-regulation and create a safe, connected environment for both children and adults, promoting emotional well-being and tools for problem solving. I Love You Rituals harness the power of connection through The Four Elements of Connection which are essential to maximize the benefits and quality of the interaction.
The Four Elements of Connection are:
EYE CONTACT
Eye contact enhances attention, social development, and emotional well-being by fostering connectedness in relationships.
TOUCH
Gentle, nurturing touch releases the nerve growth factor, a hormone crucial for neural function and learning.
PRESENCE
Being fully present creates high-quality interactions and secure attachments between you and your child and allows adults to better respond and attune to children throughout the interaction.
PLAYFULNESS
Playfulness shifts the focus to shared joy, valuing each other, and strengthening your bond.
How to Get Started
We offer a variety of songs, poems, chants and activities specifically designed for I Love You Rituals. However, you can also create your own using poems, songs, games, and fingerplays! The goal is to connect with the children in your care. Embrace playfulness, make funny voices, sing and be yourself. One of our favorites is our rendition of, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”.
I Love You Rituals focus on fostering connection between children and caregiving adults which is the essential foundation for all learning and development. I Love You Rituals are proven to:
Improve Attention Skills
The rituals enhance focus and attention by engaging children in meaningful and joyful interactions, activating the dopamine system, which is critical for learning and concentration.
Strengthen Neural Pathways
Through repetitive, positive interactions, the rituals support brain development; particularly in areas responsible for emotional regulation and social-emotional skills.
Reduce Power Struggles
The rituals create a foundation of safety, trust and connection. This foundation fosters cooperation and reduces power struggles.
Increase Emotional Regulation
The safe and nurturing environment created by I Love You Rituals helps children develop self-regulation skills, which are essential for managing emotions effectively.
Enhance Social and Emotional Development
Through eye contact, touch, presence, and playfulness, children learn to develop and maintain strong, healthy relationships with others.
Promotion of Unconditional Love and Security
These rituals provide children with a deep sense of love and safety, fostering secure attachments that are critical for emotional and psychological well-being.
Encourage Care and Cooperation
By modeling empathy, respect, and kindness, I Love You Rituals teach children to express care and empathy and cooperate with others.
Boost Joy and Connection
The playful and interactive nature of the rituals promotes shared joy, strengthening the parent-child bond and contributing to a positive family dynamic.
Decrease Stress
For both children and caregivers, the rituals can lower stress by releasing calming hormones like oxytocin, enhancing overall tranquility.
Foundation for Lifelong Learning
By fostering a sense of connection and emotional safety, the rituals lay the groundwork for a child’s lifelong ability to engage in and benefit from learning experiences
Tips for Success:
- Incorporate I Love You Rituals into your daily routine— after waking or during morning meeting, when saying goodbye or at pick-up, when saying hello after school or work, and before bedtime are times many caregivers and educators use I Love you Rituals
- Be consistent; repetition and predictability help to deepen the sense of connection and joy.
- Learn more by visiting Shubert’s Home
The foundation for well-being, self-regulation, secure attachments and brain development starts in the heart! With Conscious Discipline’s approach of I Love You Rituals, you don’t need to wait until Valentine’s Day to begin building connections that will fuel a lifetime of learning.
-Reposted from Conscious Discipline, written by Kindermusik’s own Beth Anspach
