Just Listening to Kids Can Do Wonders for Their Self-Esteem

With children and adults sheltering at home these days, it is a perfect opportunity for adults to really spend quality time with their children. One of the most effective ways to have a closer connection with children and adolescents is to take the time to really listen to them. By listening to their thoughts and concerns, adults can be more effective in helping children through this difficult time. Before the pandemic, children saw the adults in their lives only about half of the time. The other half they were in school or at daycare. Today, sheltering in place can put a real strain on the household, yet it can also be an opportunity to really connect as a family. It is this connection, when adults take the time to communicate with their kids, that can help children develop real self-confidence that can benefit them throughout their lives.

Never in our lifetimes have families been basically forced to spend as much time together as they are today. When people spend most of the day away from home, they often don’t have a lot of time for the children in their households. As a result, kids learn early on that they only have limited time with their working parents. After all, the adults in their lives are often tired after work and may not be in the best state of mind to spend a lot of time with them, let alone listen closely to what they have to say. This can lead to children and adolescents believing they are secondary in the minds of the adults in their lives. They may believe they are an after-thought which can lead to a lower self-image and/or a lack of belief in themselves.

With the COVID-19 pandemic keeping us at home, now is the perfect time to actually spend time listening to your children. What do they have to say? What’s on their minds? This can be a valuable time to really get to know your kids in ways you haven’t had time to do before. A chance to really show them they matter and what they have to say has value.

One of the greatest gifts we can give to children is our time. When we actually listen to them and care about their thoughts and their views of the world, it can do wonders for their self-image. When children believe that what they say has merit and matters, they can start to recognize their own value and self-worth.

Parents may not realize how much benefit there is to a child when you are willing to take the time and have a conversation with them. Think about it… Often the only time adults really concentrate on talking to children is when they correct their behavior or direct them to do something like get ready for school or do their homework. Think about how special it was for you when you were a child and an adult in your life was actually interested in what you had to say? Perhaps a grandparent, or if you were fortunate, a parent took the time to talk to you and be encouraging of what you found important. Those are special moments.

Today, with children and adults sheltering at home, the time you take to truly communicate with the children in your household can pay dividends for decades to come. It can give them the self-confidence to see they really matter in the world, and this can be life-changing. Children who see their value often strive for higher goals. Children who see their value are more likely to make more positive choices that benefit them in their lives.

Just listening to children talk may not seem like a big deal at first. However, the time you spend listening to them is time in which they feel valued. It’s like planting seeds for their future that can blossom into an inner strength and self-confidence. It is this belief in themselves that can help them develop the courage to pursue their own dreams in the not-too-distant future.