John Wartemberg
1w ago
I write about identity drift and how to stay aligned without blowing up your life.
Let Them Do Something That Matters
Your child cracks an egg. Half the shell lands in the bowl.
You fish it out and say, “Good practice!”
But they’re not practicing for some future breakfast. They’re helping make this one.
Ikigai is a Japanese idea about what makes life feel worth living.
For young kids, that feeling may come from knowing they have a real part to play in family life.
We often give children pretend jobs because real ones take longer.
But there’s something powerful about knowing your help made a difference.
Next time, let them do a small job that actually needs doing.
Even if it’s messy.
They don’t always need another activity. Sometimes they need to know they’re needed.
John W