Her friend said it was weird that she always told her mom ‘I love you’ — her daughter’s response left her deeply moved
Growing up, kids may have a phase where they hold back from expressing love toward their parents. However, such expressions can deeply strengthen the bond between parents and children. Threads user and mom, Crissy Kiep, who goes by @wisheswizardsandwaves, overheard a conversation between her daughter and her friend. The latter mentioned how it was "weird" that she loudly said "I love you" to her mom so casually. Unsure what her reply would be, the mom waited to listen. Sharing on Monday, May 18, 2026, Kiep shared how her daughter's explanation left her emotional.
The mom had a simple exchange with her daughter, asking her about her laundry, and as she left, her daughter yelled, "Love you so much." When the mother reciprocated the sentiment, she heard her daughter's friend saying, "It's so weird that you constantly tell your mom you love her." Kiep, who was curious to know what her daughter would say, stood behind the door outside, but what she heard left her in tears. Her daughter told her friend that her mother had worked a lot to give her the best life she could. "It's okay if you don't feel like that about your mom, but I tell her I love her because I do," the girl added. While the two friends moved on from the conversation, Kiep was filled with emotions on hearing her daughter's response.
The woman revealed that she had grown up in a toxic household. Hence, she always wanted to break the generational trauma and give her children the love they deserved. "This felt like the top of Mt. Everest to me," she wrote. While imparting love to children is often considered a duty, it is equally essential for children to express love in return. According to child counselor and developmentalist Dr. Deborah MacNamara, children must express their feelings and be vocal about their emotions so they can connect better with their parents. "When a child has given their heart to a parent, they will be more likely to listen and attend to what is said. A deeply connected child will look up to their adults, like them, seek their help, and want to be with them," Dr. MacNamara noted.
The mother's post resonated with many parents online, who shared similar experiences of children expressing their love and gratitude. @annie.fox83 shared, "One of the things we had to do before getting married was counseling, and I think the only thing that stuck was telling each other 'I love you,' when we leave, or at the end of text messages. My 15-year-old has started doing it too recently." @glpell revealed, "My grown children, when they're home with us, still give us a hug and a kiss on the cheek goodnight and tell us, 'I love you.' I am blessed because they're both just good humans!" @seanna_not_shawna noted, "There isn't a finite amount of love; in fact, the opposite, the more you love, the more love you find and see. Never hesitate to let someone know you love them."
For more content on parenting, follow @wisheswizardsandwaves on Threads.
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