Like any normal kid, I was “into” a lot of different things growing up. As a 7 or 8-year-old, my uncle gave me a massive 3-ring binder stamp collecting kit. And so for a couple of years, I was a stamp-collecting champion trying to fill that impossibly-sized binder.
I remember as a 10-12-year-old, I got into weight lifting… at least for a time. Since I didn’t have any weight equipment and didn’t want anyone to know I was lifting, I hid reused milk gallons filled with water in a closet and pulled them out to lift daily. I was truly convinced that bulging muscles were in my future.
I especially remember being into playing basketball throughout my teen years. I was determined to become the next MJ in the NBA. I had the drive… unfortunately not much of the talent.
Now, over the years as a parent, I’ve come to realize that like me, each of my kids goes through seasons where they have different niches that they are into as well. (Who remembers Beyblades, or Perler Beads, or SpyKids, LOL?)
As I look at my kids’ current niches, they’re still all ‘into’ different things… and guess what? Your kids are too!
What is each of your children’s current niches? Could you tell me? I bet you can.
As parents, what matters to our kids ought to matter to us…
The things that they are invested in give us not only a birds-eye view into their heart but a simple way to connect with them if we’ll take advantage of it.
Quite possibly, unlike anything else, these things allow us to connect with them on a personal level during the different seasons of their childhood. Every child has a current niche, and one of your jobs as a parent is to know what it is and find ways to engage with it.
If you want to engage with your child’s heart, engage with your child’s interests.
If your kids are into sports right now, make sure you’re taking intentional time to play that game of basketball, or throw that football regularly (I’ve played more games of basketball and football in my backyard than my 40-year-old body cares to count or admit).
If your kids are into something artsy and crafty, when’s the last time you created something fun together? Why not break out the beads, the paint, or the sketch pad?
And what about those kids who are into digital things like video gaming, creating video content (Shameless Plug – check out my son’s niche, the Bunkhouse Bros YouTube Channel), or photography? How can you both encourage and engage with them surrounding those things?
Can I have your attention, please?…
Oftentimes, parents expect their kids to give them their full undivided attention, when in reality oftentimes parents aren’t willing to return the favor. When was the last time you gave your child your full undivided attention to prioritizing their niche’? Why not take some time to do it this week? I heard someone recently say that one of the times your kids ask, “Can you come and play with me?” will be the last time they ever ask.
“If we truly want our kids to engage with us, we’ve got to be engaging with them. And the best way to do that is often to simply connect with their world.”
So here’s the big question to answer for yourself… What’s my child’s current niche, and how can I tap into my child’s heart and life through it this week?
Bonus question: What’s one of your childhood niches that you could share with your kids today?
