This is a video I shared with my Facebook friends from a few years ago. It was a helpful reminder and encouraged me. A summary is below if you don’t have time to watch the video.
1) The kids have thrived not so much because we’ve pushed them as much as we just haven’t held them back. From being who they are, from discovery and exploration.
2) Freedom to fail, also freedom to succeed.You can’t succeed without successfully working through failure. Unless you’re succeeding at playing it safe.
3) Give them the freedom to have and voice their own opinions.
4) How can you tell you’re being supportive and not a helicopter parent? If your kids want your support and input, they ask and initiate versus shooing you away, rolling your eyes, complying, and struggle with initiating or choosing themselves. When you find yourself saying, “Why don’t you____?” More than “What do you think?” When you’re constantly coming up with solutions for your kids.
5) We grow by choosing. Choosing forms our character. So within the boundaries, give your kids choices on things that are matters of preference. Things that develop their unique strengths and interests.
The foundation of all of this for us is God’s grace and love. The security to live free and the hope and repair for our mistakes are all grace. Without this parenting can become its own religion. How well our kids are doing can’t be the basis for our happiness, identity, or life.
For more on parenting and empowering your kids, you might like this blog post on How To Not Raise Entitled and Enabled Kids: The E’s of Excellent Parenting
