There’s no way to guarantee that a child will go on to be successful and happy in adulthood. But there are certainly things that help to make it more likely. And some of these things are a little vague. For instance, specialness. It’s not so much that a child should feel better than other people (they shouldn’t), but that they understand that they’re valuable and have inherent worth. Because, after all, they do! It’s just that many children don’t feel this way, and it’s not always because of anything malicious.
So how can you ensure that your child feels special? We’ll take a look at some key steps below.
Listen to What They Say
It’s not hard to imagine why someone who’s ignored would begin to question whether they’re special. After all, special people aren’t ignored! Happily, this is one of the easier things to remedy. To make your child feel special, you just have to do the simplest thing in the world — listen to them! You should never doubt just how impactful it can be to feel listened to and to take part in a conversation with someone that you love (in this case, that person will be you!).
Provide Praise
Everyone likes receiving praise. It shows an acknowledgement that you’ve done something good. And it’s all the sweeter when that praise comes from someone that you admire and love (again, in this scenario, it’s you!). Of course, you shouldn’t provide blind praise. False praise is arguably more harmful than no praise at all. But when they do something worth celebrating, then shout it from the rooftops. As well as helping to make your child feel special, this will also encourage good practices — people who receive praise are more likely to continue to perform well compared with those that don’t.
Make a Fuss
You probably can’t make your child the star of the show every day. Plus, there’ll be occasions when someone else needs to have the limelight. But there will be times when your child deserves to take centre stage. For example, on their birthday. That’s a day that should be all about them, so be sure to make a fuss about them. You could work with a kids party hire to put together a fantastic party, for instance, and buy them a selection of excellent gifts. You may also want to make a fuss about them when they achieve something special, like victory in a sporting competition.
Ask For Their Help
Children want to be included. They don’t want to be left on the sidelines. One way to bring them into the fold is to ask for their help. You could do this when you’re working in the garden, for example, or when you’re cooking a family dinner. They’ll love to get involved! This won’t only make them feel special, but it’ll help to instil a good work ethic too. There’s a lot of value in having your child help you to prepare a meal since it creates habits that’ll stick with them in adulthood.
