Just wanted to share this with you, maybe it is what your T is doing...

My T will say "Thank you!" and smile very big when I tell him things that are emotional affection. He doesn't reply with anything back to me other than that. One time, my Little One (child alter 8yrs old) said "I LIKE YOU!" and T had to stop himself because he started to say "I Like you too!" - He said "I L...." and then said "Thank you!"

I found out that what he is doing is modelling behavior for me.

Growing up, some children are only shown love when they do something to make the parent happy. We get good grades, the parent tells us how smart we are. We kiss our parents and they say "I love you too!"

This all may sound fine from the outside, but it teaches many of us that in order for us to be loved, we have to give something first.

When a T says "Thank you" as a response to our giving affection, they are showing us a healthier way of having a relationship. They are saying "I am going to freely accept what you offer to me. I am accepting it without thinking you are demanding anything from me in return. This is the way a healthy child should be able to accept love from others. This is the way a healthy person should accept love from others. Love can be offered to us by the world without us thinking the world demands anything in return."

The other part of this is that by just saying "Thank you" and not offering anything in return, T is saying "When I give you my love, when I give you my time and energy, when I cry at your pain or laugh with your joy, those parts of me are free gifts to you. I am NOT giving them to you because you love me. I am not going to take them from you if you don't love me."

Hope this helps!