‘Mummy I love you.’

Is there anything more delicious than overhearing a child say ‘mummy, I love you’? It melts hearts, it unites bystanders in exchanged glances of ‘ahhhh, how sweet’. It is a powerful statement. It is a pure, public and unabashed statement of love.

For many of us who parent children with attachment difficulties, hearing ‘I love you’ for the first time is nothing less than a breakthrough. Our child is learning to love, to trust and is brave enough to show us a little of that. It may takes months or even years to come. It is a big moment.