I Want to Wrestle

This piece was also submitted as part of the Write On Project: Love

image from http://hulkhogan.com/

My second son came downstairs tonight and said, “Dad, will you wrestle?” I said, “Are you sure?” He quickly replied, “I want to wrestle!”

I immediately grabbed him to begin the match and told me I was in the wrong room so I had to go upstairs to the living room and sit on the floor. Quickly, he let me know that wrestling to him meant me on the floor, him climbing up on the sofa, and me being jumped on. As we rolled around yelling like beasts the other kids joined in, even his soon-to-be two-year old sister. Each one wanted their turn in the full embrace of dad being tickled and pinned on the floor or in my arms.

I loved every minute of it!

As I thought more about it later that evening, he wasn’t telling me as much how he wanted to wrestle with me as much he was telling me how he wanted me to love him.

I firmly believe that the way our children interact with us is also the way they want us to love them. During our wrestling match, he wanted me to love him with physical touch. He wanted me to grab him, hold him, and squeeze him. The fact that I did that with him let him know that I love him.

This reminds me that I need to pay close attention to them and the way they interact with me. If they give me words of affection, I need to return words. If they come and just sit with me and want to watch a video or play a game, then I need to give them that time. When I respond to them, the way they interact with me it shows them love.

Do you have any clues you look for with your kids?