Building Strong Foundations: How Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Can Help Your Child Thrive
If your child is in therapy, you might have wondered what you can be doing at home to support their growth. While every child is unique in the support systems that are best for them, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can be beneficial to guide caregivers in building a strong foundation from which specific supports can be built. This foundation can lay the groundwork for emotional healing and growth.
If your child is in therapy, you might have wondered what you can be doing at home to support their growth. While every child is unique in the support systems that are best for them, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can be beneficial to guide caregivers in building a strong foundation from which specific supports can be built. This foundation can lay the groundwork for emotional healing and growth.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a theory in psychology developed by Abraham Maslow. It is often shown as a pyramid, demonstrating that the bottom layer is more foundational and often must be met in order for needs above it to be met. An example that comes up often for children is that they aren’t getting quality sleep (a physiological need) which is impacting their connection with family members (which falls into the love and belonging category).
Another example is that self-esteem is more easily built when a child has a sense of belonging and support. While the order of the levels is what Maslow found to be most typical, the order of the levels is not completely fixed. A person may still be able to achieve a sense of belonging despite suffering from a terminal illness. However, we can see that a person’s focus would shift to their health rather than to maintaining friendships if faced with a life-threatening illness.
Physiological needs are fundamental requirements for human survival, such as food, water, and sleep. Once physiological needs are met, a human’s focus shifts to safety and security, which encompasses personal safety and health. For adults, this category also includes employment. These first two levels are “basic needs” while the next two levels are “psychological needs.”
Once safety needs are met, a person can focus on feeling love and belonging. This level emphasizes family and friends, the importance of genuine relationships, and a sense of attunement and connection with others. The second psychological need level is esteem needs. Here, a person focuses on self-esteem, prestige, and independence. The final level is categorized as a “self-fulfillment need.” This level is about self-actualization which involves realizing one’s full potential and seeking personal growth.
So how can you take these needs into consideration to help your child thrive?
Understanding each level of Maslow’s hierarchy can enhance your child’s ability for emotional healing and growth.
Let’s start with physiological needs.
These needs are foundational to meeting most of the goals children come to therapy for. Without consistent quality sleep, overall well-being is hard to achieve. Proper nutrition is also essential. An acronym related to this level that can be helpful to consider is HALT. This acronym stands for hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. When a child is hungry or tired, there is an increased chance of emotional dysregulation because their window of tolerance has decreased. When a child is hungry, their blood sugar drops which can lead to frustration and difficulty concentrating. When a child is tired, judgment is impaired and irritability is increased. To learn more about improving your child’s sleep quality, check out Jami’s blog. To learn more about improving your child’s nutrition, check out Jillian’s blog.
Next, we have safety needs.
Something that comes up here for children quite frequently is illness. From colds to flus, kids are exposed to a lot of sicknesses. Like being hungry or tired, sickness typically leads to a reduced window of tolerance as their body fights off an infection. Safety needs also include living in a physically safe environment. In an upcoming blog, we’ll be diving deeper into this topic by discussing ACEs (adverse childhood experiences). ACEs include things such as poverty, domestic violence, or living with those with substance use disorders. Sign up for our newsletter here to be the first to know when this blog is available. Another relevant topic for kids in this category is a consistent routine. Establishing predictable daily routines can provide a sense of safety and security for children. In my blog on routines, I dive deeper into this topic and explore how to determine if your routine is supporting your child’s mental health.
The first tier of the psychological needs is love and belonging.
With children, fostering a sense of connection is best done through play. In my blog on strengthening the parent-child relationship, I explore how to play with your child to do so. Spending dedicated time engaging in activities your child enjoys fosters a strong emotional bond. Open communication is also essential to foster a sense of love and belonging. Encouraging your child to share their thoughts and feelings can help to achieve this. Check out our page on reflecting feelings to learn how to reinforce that they are heard and valued.
The second tier of psychological needs is esteem needs.
Improving low self-esteem is frequently a goal of children in therapy. If this is the case for your child, be sure to focus on the foundational pieces mentioned in the previous tiers so that the groundwork is established for them to grow in this area. One way to support this tier at home is to use encouragement instead of praise. While praise focuses on the product, encouragement focuses on the effort of your child. Instead of praising them for winning their soccer game by saying, “I’m so proud of you!” try encouraging their effort by saying, “You worked so hard to make that last goal!” To explore this phrasing shift more, view our online course on this skill and more. Another way to support esteem needs at home is by encouraging independence. Allow your child to make choices to foster a sense of autonomy and confidence. For a vast majority of their day, children are instructed on exactly what to do. When we allow them to choose what they wear, what they eat, or where they go, a sense of autonomy is built. With that said, we want to make sure that children are given developmentally appropriate choices. This means that the choices offered are age-appropriate. A preschooler may choose from two outfits you have picked out while a fifth grader might choose from their whole closet.. Regarding what to eat, children can choose between two options for a meal or pick out a snack from a bin pre-curated by you. In choosing where to go, they might again choose between two options (the library or the park) or decide which order to run errands in (the grocery store or the post office first).
The last tier of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is self-actualization.
This stage represents the pursuit of personal growth, creativity, and the fulfillment of one’s potential. For children in therapy, self-actualization might look like discovering who they are, what they enjoy, and how they can channel their unique abilities in meaningful ways. To support your child in this tier, you can support your child’s interests and help them work toward achievable goals. Encourage your child to explore hobbies and extracurriculars that align with their passions. You can also help them set and work toward realistic goals, promoting a sense of accomplishment.
Supporting your child through therapy is a journey, and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs provides a valuable roadmap to guide the way. By focusing on their foundational needs—such as quality sleep, proper nutrition, and a safe environment—you can create the conditions for emotional and psychological healing.
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WRITTEN BY RACHEL ESPARZA, LPC_ASSOCIATE
Rachel Esparza is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate supervised by Jaclyn N. Sepp, MA, LPC-S, RPT-S™, NCC, RYT® 200 and Sheila Wessels, MEd, LPC-S, RPT-S™. Rachel is also working towards her Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT™) credential. At Texas State University, Rachel earned her master’s degree in professional counseling (CACREP Accredited Program) and her bachelor’s degree in psychology. She has experience working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families in community counseling settings.
