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Nurturing your child's true potential
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Published: April 23, 2009
Have you ever picked up an oak tree acorn, which is about the size of a grape, and pondered the potential within that acorn? Within that little seed is the beginning of a huge oak tree. The acorn merely needs the right nurturing from the nutrients in the soil, water from the rain and light from the sun to be all it can be.
Transfer that thought to children. When children are born into the world, they have within them unlimited possibilities. Created in the image of God, a child has the innate capacity to become an astronaut, a composer, a teacher, a physician, a scientist, an NFL football player, a member of the Women's Olympic Soccer Team, a pastor, a senator, etc. That child, like the acorn, merely needs the right nurturing from caring parents, encouragement from the extended family, school teachers, church teachers, friends, a safe community and access to education and training opportunities.
The power to become responsible citizens and contributors to society are all present in the child. When we are the parents of a child or children, it is our responsibility to provide the environment to empower our children to become all they can be.
Empowerment parenting is a concept introduced by two sets of parents, Judy and Jack Balswich and Boni and Don Piper in their book of the same name. They describe empowerment parents as parents who bring out the innate power and creativity that is within their children. They talk about five empowering components in parenting children which develop responsibility and success in children. The five processes parents provide for their children are:
(1) Assuring: "I am on your side and I believe in you."
(2) Encouraging: "You have within you strength and talents."
(3) Challenging: "I want to help you reach your absolute full potential."
(4) Equipping: "Here are some basic truths and skills necessary to achieve what you want to be."
(5) Trusting: "I know you will make many mistakes and fail along the way, but I know you will learn from your failures and apply it to your next attempt."
Behind every successful adult in the world, there is a parent, a set of parents, grandparents or substitute parents. When I used to work with an agency that recruited, trained and supported foster parents, I heard many stories of success. Children at high risk and children with histories of delinquencies were being turned around in the right foster home. Foster parents were able to provide assurance, encouragement, expectations (challenges), teaching (equipping), and trust. It was amazing how children thrived when they were in a foster home where they were provided nurture and respect from substitute parents. Of course, not all of the foster children were a success. Some of the children did not flourish because they were too severely damaged from neglect or abuse in their childhood homes.
It clearly shows the impact of parents and other caring adults on developing children. Empowerment parenting seeks to bring out the very best in children. The enduring affection and emotional bonding that forms between parents and children is the essential element to raising children who are empowered with life skills and self-confidence to deal with whatever challenges and opportunities come their way.
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