Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old
The prompt
“What's something you're good at that you don't think anyone else in the family can do?”
What to listen for
If they name something real and specific with confidence, that's a great sign of a solid, secure sense of their own value, let them enjoy bragging a little without redirecting to modesty. If they struggle to think of anything, that's worth gently noticing over time; it may mean they haven't been told clearly enough what makes them special.
Listen for whether the talent is something practical (building, drawing, remembering things) or something relational (making people laugh, comforting someone), both are equally worth celebrating, and naming the relational ones matters just as much.
If they say "I don't know," offer a guess of your own first, sometimes hearing you name it gives them permission to agree and expand on it.
What this tells you
How easily they can name their own unique talent shows how clearly they currently believe they stand out in the family.