“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 18:10
Just about every encouragement tip we talk about here can be applied to the children in your life as well, but here a few ideas specifically for encouraging the children in your life:
- Let them know you see them.
Everyone needs to know they are seen. Make eye contact with children you see. Smile. Say hello. Call them by name. You never know how meaningful that could be to a child who feels unseen.
- Encourage them to try new things.
Most things are new experiences for children. How will they know what they are good at if they don’t try things? Do you remember the time when you first tried the thing you love to do most? Whenever possible, encourage kids to try new hobbies, new foods, new experiences.
- Remind them that it is okay to fail and affirm their resilience.
Rarely does a person get things right the first time. Kids need to know that they can fail and they need to experience recovery from a failure. We learn most when we have to try again. Resilience and perseverance are more healthy than perfectionism.
- Notice their passions and gifts.
Just as I shared in my post yesterday about the teacher that noticed my artistic ability, my parents were also a great encouragement to my sister and I to pursue the things that we loved. It only takes a small amount of observation and conversation to discover a child’s passions. Simply showing interest and asking questions will encourage them.
- Teach them about something you love.
Take the time to teach a child about something you love to do. Invite them to join you while you cook or bake, show them how to knit or crochet, teach them a favorite card game or how to bait a hook, ask them to help you fix the car or weed the garden. You might just spark an interest they never would have known they had.
- Ask them about their highs and lows.
When you ask a child about their highs (the best things that happened today or this week) and lows (the worst thing that happened today or this week) you are showing an interest in how they really feel about things. When we show others we value their opinions we give them the confidence to speak up.
Other variations:
“What was the best thing and the worst thing about your vacation?”
“What is your favorite character in the book/movie and your least favorite?”
“What food do you like best? What food do you like least?”
- Listen
Everyone needs to feel heard. Take the time to listen to a child. Ask questions and respond to what they are saying.
- Pray
Pray with and for children. When our children were younger, we prayed with them each night. We started with the oldest child to the youngest child and then Jerry and I. I loved hearing their hearts as they prayed for others and I know it was meaningful to them as they heard Jerry and I pray for each of them by name. Ask children how they would like you to pray for them and then give them confirmation that you have been praying.
- Tell children where you have seen God at work in your life.
When you talk about how you see God at work, it helps children to learn to look for Him at work in their lives as well. We need to pass along the stories of God’s love, provision, and protection to our kids. When we share our faith, their faith grows and develops.
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
3 John 1:4