Three Things You Should Say to Your Kids Today
Put down whatever you're doing for two minutes.
I want to give you three things to say to your kids today. Not tomorrow. Today. And these work almost no matter how old your children are — whether they're 8 or 18 or 28 and married with kids of their own.
Words matter. The right ones, said at the right time, can change a person.
Here are three.
1. "If I Was Your Age, I Would Want to Be Your Friend."
Tell your child — and mean it — that if you were their age, you would be so happy to be their friend. That you would be pumped to hang out with someone as cool as them.
Think about what that does to a child.
So much of what kids hear from adults is correction. Instruction. Direction. Do this. Don't do that. Try harder. Be better.
But to hear from the most important adult in their life — I think you're someone worth knowing. I think you're genuinely cool. I would choose you — that lands in a completely different place.
Say it. Mean it. Watch what happens.
2. "I Love the Way Your Mind Works."
Tell your child that you love the way their mind works. That you like being around them and hearing how they process things. That the way they see the world is fresh and amazing.
Every child has a way of thinking that is uniquely theirs. And most of the time, that way of thinking gets managed, redirected, or corrected — not celebrated.
When a parent stops and says I love how your brain works. I love sitting with you and hearing how you see things — that child walks away knowing they are not just tolerated. They are genuinely interesting to the person who matters most.
That is a gift.
3. "You Are Someone I Can Trust With My Eyes Closed."
Tell your child that you appreciate having someone you can trust completely. Someone you know will get the job done. Someone you can count on without question.
Trust is one of the deepest things one person can extend to another. And children — even young ones, even teenagers — feel the weight of it when a parent says I trust you. Fully. Without reservation.
It doesn't just make them feel good. It makes them want to live up to it.
Say It in Your Own Words
You don't need to use my exact words. Find your version. The version that sounds like you, that fits your relationship, that will land the way it needs to land.
But say something. Today.
And this goes to all my children — and my married children too. You know who you are. 🌿
These are the kinds of conversations Outdoor Leadership Training opens up between parents and children. Because the time is short. And the words matter.
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