Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old

The prompt

“What does being a loyal friend look like to you, like, what would a really loyal friend actually do?”

What to listen for

If they describe sticking up for a friend or staying friends even during a hard time, they're showing a real, mature understanding that relationships are worth protecting, which means they likely feel that kind of loyalty themselves and want to give it back.

If they describe loyalty as always agreeing or doing whatever the friend wants, gently note that, it may be worth exploring together that a true friend can disagree and still be loyal, so they don't confuse loyalty with losing themselves.

If they say "I don't know," ask about a specific friend and what makes that friendship feel solid.

What this tells you

Their definition of loyalty shows what they most need to feel secure in their friendships.