The process of empowering children starts in infancy and it never ends. Empowerment teaches them that they have the power to take positive action in their lives. They can work through challenges and solve their difficulties. It means more than just having their own inner resources, but also knowing how to use them.
Enrich Your Kids
Empowerment for kids starts with giving them a wide range of enriching experiences. Teach them to do things themselves by getting them involved in activities such as gardening or caring for animals. These activities put them in control and show them that they can determine their own outcomes.
Hands-on Learning
Some parents do too much for their kids. The reason is that they don’t want to see their kids fail and become discouraged. But the best way to empower children is to let them learn hands on and make their own mistakes. Help them examine their own mistakes not as failures but as learning experiences, analyzing them objectively to determine what went wrong.
Cause and Effect
Instead of punishing children for bad behavior, teach them to understand the consequences of their actions. When you teach them about cause and effect, they learn to make decisions based on outcomes rather than fear of punishment or desire for a reward. This teaches them to think independently and consider the effects of what they do.
Support and Respect
Always show your kids your support and respect for them. Make sure they understand that you believe in them. You can never tell them how much you love and respect them too much. If you have confidence in them first, it will be much easier for them to feel this inner confidence themselves. Confidence is one of the key elements of empowerment.
Answer Questions
Kids ask lots of questions and you can help them understand the world better by answering them honestly and directly. When you don’t know the answer, tell them frankly that you don’t know. Teach them how to find the answers to their questions themselves and learn together.
Encourage Generosity
Giving and not expecting anything in return is one of the foundations of empowerment. It boosts your self-esteem and gives you more self-confidence. Encourage your kids to give and teach them the benefits of their generosity for themselves and for others. Show them how they can help others and teach them that it benefits them as well.
Work on Yourself
In order to empower your kids, you need to feel empowered yourself. Take a good hard look at your life and make changes where you need to. You may have to go on your own empowerment journey first! Kids copy you so you should be modeling the behavior you’d like to see in them.