Reading and writing as a love language
Love doesn’t always shout. Sometimes it whispers through a story shared quietly, side by side, or a little handwritten note created especially for someone.
Whether you’re reading with a child, giving a meaningful book or creating more shared moments at home, stories and writing can become simple but powerful ways to show love.
Love looks like reading together
For children, being read to is never just about the words on the page. It’s about connection, attention and knowing that someone has paused their day to sit beside them.
Shared reading creates a sense of safety and belonging. It allows children to ask questions, explore feelings and make sense of the world with someone they trust close by. These moments, no matter how brief, are powerful.
A story before bed.
A book on the sofa after school.
A quiet page turned together on a Sunday morning.
These small rituals build bonds that last far longer than the story itself.
Books as emotional anchors
Books often become emotional anchors in childhood. Children remember how a story made them feel just as much as what it was about. They remember the voice that read it to them, the laughter at a familiar page, the comfort of returning to the same story again and again.
Some books are revisited dozens of times—not because they’re new, but because they’re comforting and become part of family life. I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve read Oliver Jeffers’ Lost and Found. The relationship between the boy and the penguin melts your heart and makes you want to snuggle in with your little one.
Stories that grow with children
The best shared books are the ones that grow alongside children.
A peek-through board book that sparks giggles in the early years.
A picture book that opens conversations as children get older.
A story that gently explores emotions, relationships or big ideas.
Reading together allows adults and children to meet on the same page—literally—and creates space for connection without pressure. Sometimes, the story does the talking for us.
Love beyond Valentine’s Day
While February is often linked to romantic love, I think it’s also a time to celebrate family love, intergenerational love, and everyday care.
The love between parents and children. Between grandparents and grandchildren. Between siblings, carers, foster families and chosen families.
Books can sit at the heart of all of these relationships, passed between hands, shared across ages and treasured for years. Love doesn’t need a card; sometimes it just needs a story.
Books as keepsakes, not just gifts
Some books are meant for more than a single reading. They’re books you keep, return to and fill with memories. All three of my boys have read Elmer, and each has loved it for a different reason.
A book given with intention becomes a keepsake — something children carry with them long after childhood. These are the books we love most: thoughtful, beautifully made, and full of meaning.
They make perfect gifts, but they’re just as valuable when they’re bought simply to be shared.
Creating space for connection
In a world that often feels busy and noisy, books offer something rare: stillness. They create space for children and adults to pause together, offering moments of calm and inviting closeness without distraction. Shared reading doesn’t have to be long to be meaningful; even five minutes can be enough to reconnect at the end of the day.
Reading and writing is my love language
When children become readers, they often become writers too. February is a lovely opportunity to encourage them to write little notes to the people they love. A message may take only a few minutes to create but can be treasured by its recipient for years.
Whether it is written for a parent, grandparent, sibling, friend or carer, a little note gives children another way to express affection and celebrate the people who matter to them.
If you are unsure which books will suit your child now, our guide to choosing children’s books by age offers simple ideas from birth to 9 years.
