Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old

The prompt

“How do you know when someone is really, truly listening to you?”

What to listen for

If they mention eye contact, putting down a phone, or asking follow-up questions, they're telling you exactly what makes them feel heard, take this as direct, useful feedback for how you listen to them.

If they say "nobody really listens," try not to get defensive, thank them for being honest and ask what listening would look like instead, then try to actually do it this week.

If they struggle to answer, that's a great moment to describe what you try to do when you listen to them, which helps them notice it happening.

What this tells you

This is direct feedback on whether they currently feel truly heard by the people around them, including you.