Tips for Making the Transformation and Empowering Your Kids

2014-12-17 17:46:54 CPCC Blogging Team

Empowering your children and making the transition into giving them some control of their decisions is a difficult step for many parents. There is no need to worry, your child is still your baby, but this is a natural part of your child’s growth. When it comes to choosing the perfect time to introduce new responsibilities, freedom, and choice, it is best to wait until your child starts showing their responsible side. You can jumpstart the process by following your child’s lead. As difficult as “letting go” can be, these helpful tips will significantly ease the process and help create a responsible adult out of your child:

• Before the process can really start, you will need to educate yourself. Look into what other children their age are doing and what technology their parents are introducing them to. Before inviting a new technological device into your child’s life, make sure to do sufficient research so that you can be familiar with the program or device as well.
• If your child is asking to take on new privileges, see if their classmates are also requesting the same privileges. Knowing that other parents are inviting new freedom into their child’s life can help ease your worries a bit.
• In order to make this a smooth process, you will want to ease into empowering your child. If your child is begging to make a Facebook or social media account, give them limits and see how well they stick to them. If they follow your rules, reward them with additional privileges.
• Most importantly, you must keep an eye out for warning signs. If you notice a dramatic change in your child’s behavior, they may be abusing these privileges or hiding an underlying issue. Mood changes should never go undiscussed.

For more help empowering your children, contact Community Presbyterian Counseling Center in San Ramon, California.  

Parenting