Trying to empower your child to change the world is not exactly going to be an easy task. But as their parent, it feels like your responsibility to try.
If not you, then who?
It falls to you to help get them where they need to be. There are many ways that you can do this, and it doesn’t have to be anything too difficult. Mainly, as long as you support them, and give them all the life tools that they need to get where they are going, they are going to reach their destination with your help. In this article, we are going to be looking at some of the ways that you can empower your children to believe that they can change the world.
Listen To Them
The very first thing that we are going to look at is listening to them when they speak. There is nothing more discouraging in this world than when you are trying to tell someone something, and they are simply not listening to a word that you have to say. Even when your child is young, you need to listen to what they are saying, and really hear what they are trying to tell you. It doesn’t necessarily matter if you disagree as your child is not a direct copy of you. Of course, it is your job as a parent to give your children all of the facts, so if you do feel as though there is something they should know that they have not said already, do tell them. The only thing that you need to be careful of here is that you are not doing this in a condescending way.
Give Them Confidence
Let them know that they can do whatever they want to do. One of the biggest issues nowadays for children and young people is the fact that they don’t have any confidence. Confidence starts at home, and if you are constantly putting your child down, or telling them that their dreams are stupid, then they are not going to have the courage to change the world. You need to avoid this entirely.
Your kids need to know that you believe in them, in order to give them the ability to believe in themselves. If you think about it, your child thinks the world of you, and if you are constantly telling them that they are wrong in a demeaning way, or that they are not going to make anything of themselves, it is probable that they won’t. You need to encourage your child in all their pursuits and give them the confidence to try out new things, whatever they may be.
Risks Are Necessary
Another important part of life is that risks are necessary. Nobody ever got anywhere by staying in their comfort zone, so you need to be letting them take risks. You might not always like watching them do it, and sometimes these risks are not going to pay off, but this is a lesson in life that they need to learn. It is always going to be worth it when the risk does pay off in the end, but this doesn’t mean it is going to happen every single time. Failure is a part of life, and it comes when you take risks.
Let your kids know that no matter what happens, you are going to be there for them. Whether they succeed or fail, the fact that they took the risk in the first place is all that matters. Being brave often leads to some of the best adventures of their lifetime, and changing the world could be one of these.
Let Them Follow Their Own Interests
Do not try to push your own agenda on them. Like we said above, they may be your child, but this does not mean that they are going to have all the same interests as you. When they find something that they like, you need to be encouraging them to pursue this, even if it is not something that you would do yourself. Or, even if it is not what you saw your child doing, they have the right to explore this option. Who knows, they could be the one that changes it all.
Fall Down Seven Times…
Finally, you are going to need to teach your kids the age-old saying if you want them to change the world. If you fall down seven times, you stand up eight. Teach them not to let the world keep them down, and that as long as they are fighting for what they believe in, and doing something that they love, it doesn’t matter how many times the world knocks them down, as long as they stand up again.