Top 10 Ways to Make Your Child Feel Appreciated

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

Instilling discipline and good values in your child while making him feel loved can be quite tricky. You may not notice it, but in trying to make them godly and morally upright, sometimes you end up being more critical than nurturing. I know for a fact that I have been guilty of this more often than I’d like to admit. Despite our better judgment, sometimes we parents are quicker to spot mistakes than we are when it comes to praising and showing appreciation for our kids.

Parents should balance this out by regularly making children feel that their efforts, skills, talents, and opinions are being noticed and appreciated as well. It’s healthier for their self-esteem and emotional wellbeing.

Follow the suggestions below to ease yourself into becoming more appreciative of your child:

1. Listen to your children

Most kids can be talkative, and when they talk they tend to gravitate toward topics that may not necessarily interest some grown-ups. Because of this, most parents tend to disregard what their kids say as “nonsense.”
If this sounds like something you may have been unconsciously doing, then for starters, you need to learn how to listen attentively to your child. Know that there’s a fine line between listening and hearing. Just because they are young, doesn’t mean that what they have to say is any less important. Make your child feel that what he has to say is valuable. Don’t brush him off in favor of work or other responsibilities. Or if you really can’t talk at the moment, tell your child nicely that you’ll talk to him soon when you’re done with work. The key here is to still make him feel like you care, and that what he has to say matters to you.
Listening to your kid’s stories is also a good way to get to know him. Treasure the days that your child still tells you about his day. You’ll miss it when he gets older.

2. Encourage self-expression

When your child does something that goes against your idea of the “perfect” son or daughter, it’s easy to go berserk and feel bad for not raising them properly. The next time this happens, try to reflect on what your child is trying to express instead of immediately judging him. He may actually have a point. Letting your child know that he can always open up to you about what he feels, positive or negative, will foster a strong bond between you two that he will carry through to adulthood.

 

3. Allow him to pursue his interests

My husband is a photographer, and he loves to take pictures of our family. As a result, our son became interested in photography at the early age of six. He begged us to get him his very own camera for his seventh birthday (which was a few months ago), and obviously we couldn’t get him a professional DSLR like the one his dad uses. But after doing some research on kid-friendly cameras and shopping around online, we eventually got him a sturdy Nikon point-and-shoot for him to practice with.
If your child is interested in a certain hobby, don’t discourage him just because he is young. If he your child wants to try painting, encourage him to do so. If your child is into music, enroll him in a music class. There are a ton of ways you can support your kid and show him that you appreciate his interest in honing his talents and skills.