Ask any parent what they want for their children and the answer will be unanimous: for them to be healthy and happy.
As parents, we always want to give our best to make sure our children grow into a well-rounded. In order for them to grow up to be confident, we need to learn to empower our children. So why must we learn to empower our children and how do we do that?
Why You Should Empower Your Children
1) Builds resilience: An empowered child can quickly bounce back from what life throws their way.
2) Encourages independence: Giving children the chance to make decisions about some aspects of their lives helps them become independent.
3) Increases self-esteem and grows confidence: Self-esteem and confidence help children to feel comfortable and happy with who they are.
4) Makes them better learners: An independent and confident child has a higher chance of learning effectively, which helps them shape a better future for themselves.
How to Empower Our Children?
1) Model the Behaviour You Want to See
When around children, be cautious about your language. Ensure everything you say comes out positively. Saying words positively will soon become a habit that everyone in the household embraces.
Use descriptive words such as talented, intelligent, caring, and strong to encourage a positive attitude. Let them know the importance of paying attention to their abilities and talents instead of focusing on negative opinions about themselves, especially when mistakes happen.
Remember, your words hold so much weight, and you can’t unsay words once uttered.
2) Teach Them to Overcome Failures
It is important for children to remember their past struggles for them to learn but most importantly, is to also acknowledge their achievements. Don’t we all need that reminder when the going gets tough?
Children shut down when they feel frustrated, overwhelmed, or challenged. Encouraging your child to develop perseverance and resilience skills helps to build their self-esteem. Here are some suggestions on how you can do that:
– Providing clear instructions to help complete specific tasks
– Appreciate them for who they are by taking a moment to celebrate their achievements
– Provide quick and sincere praises because they will remember how well you treated them, which has a lasting impact
– Focus on their strengths
3) Support and Trust Them
It’s without a doubt that we try to be involved in everything our children do. We often underestimate how smart and resilient our children are! So learn to let go a little and don’t underestimate their ability to manage most activities.
By giving them age-appropriate tasks, you are actually building up their confidence. Try not to be too “involved” by doing it for them.
Offer your support and guidance, but don’t forget their natural ability to learn and adapt.
I often like to use the movie “Finding Nemo” as an example when it comes to trusting our children. Sometimes holding on for too long, may cause more harm than good.
4) Teach Them about Diversity
Teaching our children about diversity is to empower a new generation. Embracing different languages, cultures, and ethnicity is a big part of being Singaporean since we live in a multi-racial society. It is so easy to forget that we need to respect each other’s cultures and differences.
Have open conversations with your children about people from different races from an early age. Interacting with different races can help them realize different ways of doing things, different perspectives as well as different solutions.
This helps us to be open to criticism, and be willing to accept a different point of view. Lastly, in a world where everyone is interconnected, learning about other races will help your child to avoid being ignorant in the future.
Conclusion
When we emphasise empowering our children, we will give rise to a generation of distinguished adults with a sense of good ethics, morals, and self-worth. If you are a parent or you work with children, we hope that this article has helped you!
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