When we see them appearing literally to ache for things that other kids have or do, however, it often calls to mind our own feelings of childhood longing. And satisfying our kids’ desire for dignity and a sense of inclusion in the present can make us feel like good parents, and signal to ourselves and the world that we are doing just fine. Dignity, it turns out, involves intense feelings for both parents and kids. So in practice, the quest for dignity usually involves kids nagging parents, offering questionable data about who has or does what, and in what quantity. But sometimes, the desire to
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