Kids Tell Parents "I Love You" For the First Time, and the Reactions Are Beautiful

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I grew up in a home where we expressed love in a number of ways, from big bear hugs in the morning to little "I love you"s before bed. But other families, I've come to learn, are not as open with their feelings. Steven Lim also noticed this emotional struggle, particularly in Asian-American households like his own, and decided to take a closer look.

"I've been wanting to do a video about the way Asian parents show love to their kids for a long time now, but I didn't really know how to put it together," the YouTuber told The Huffington Post. "The way Asian parents love their kid is so unique, so powerful, so amazing, but rarely spoken, which oftentimes leads to misunderstanding. [I wanted] to open up a conversation about verbally saying 'I love you' and help people start thinking about that."

In his new video, Lim convinces several Asian-American students to call their parents just to say "I love you." Some were excited, thinking the words would make their parents' day. Others worried that their parents wouldn't share in their sentiments, especially since this was the first time they would be expressing their love. But the parents managed to surprise their children, not only by returning the thoughts but by being genuinely excited about it.

"I'm very happy," one mother told her child. "It's good to say 'I love you.'" We couldn't agree more.