So we had the same problem with I’m sorry as we were trying to teach our daughter that, we found that overly saying it to each other was helpful So for that it was different because it was teaching apologies but we found when we stopped pushing it on her and we made it “a little dramatized” between us she wanted to understand & say it too Maybe try that with I love you?
My daughter only says it like once a day 🤣 most of the time she'll respond with 'no'. Is it possible she's saying it, but it's not in a clear 'I love you'? Ours sounds like 'uh you'
I was worried about this around a month ago but then realized ours didn’t really know how to say it and started mumbling it but now says it so much more clearly. I wonder if for some it’s just a phonetics thing…but I’ve also read that as kids start understanding the meaning of words and phrases, and how their grown ups use and perceive them, that they take that into account or may not fully understand and try to avoid them until they feel as though they do. I’m sure you say it with purpose and meaning which carries an interesting weight. Either way it’s sooo normal! You’ll get your ILY’s soon! ❤️❤️❤️
I felt like this between 18-24 months when my daughter would say full sentences but not "I love you." She loves music, so we taught her the "skidamarink" song and she now says, "I love you" back to us when we're not singing. When we are singing, she'll even pick someone to point at when she says it.