An Awesome Way to Make Kids Less Self-Absorbed

Research suggests that experiencing awe helps kids focus less on themselves and more on the world around them

Help your child experience of the wonder of nature to break them out of a self-absorbed mindset. Suzanne Tucker/Shutterstock

I’ve been inspired by the news stories of children who are working to make a difference in the world, committed to projects much bigger than themselves. There’s Malala Yousufzai, the young advocate for girls’ education in Pakistan; Craig Kielburger, who advocates for the abolishment of child labor; and Ryan Hreljac, who raises money to build wells in developing countries. The list goes on and on.

But there’s a flip side to these stories. Research suggests that some young people in the United States are actually becoming more self-absorbed and less connected to others.