Pamper & Bestow Vs Power & Empower

This article is inspired by a chance remark by a close friend in the USA during my last visit there. He said with an understandable though questionable pride - Atul...I have COVERED My Kids well for their life..'each one of them is going to have a house and a car which is fully paid for/mortgage free and at least two million USD each when they are 18'. In other words he was bestowing a bounty to them. It set me thinking of an age old adage - If kids are bright why leave them fortunes (they will make enough for themselves) ..If kids are frivolous and useless then why again leave bounties as they are in any case going to unwisely spend whatever is left for them.




There was a time when the word EMPOWER was used in a limited and parochial sense - To invest with power, especially legal power or official authority. As Human race evolved the connotation started having broader meaning with which we at HR Power House subscribe to :-EMPOWER is to equip or supply with an ability; enable: Example "Computers ... empower students to become intellectual explorers" ..Knowledge empowers you to earn your livelihood anywhere anytime.

If one looks at it from a development of teenagers point of view - it emerges as the single most effective tool . One can typically Bestow Authority or means or TRULY EMPOWER them to generate results on their own steam. Undoubtedly latter is better as you can bestow once or twice but needs will arise innumerable times. To satisfy that need one actually would need to be EMPOWERED and not Bestowed upon. True Leaders Empower others and same holds good for good parents - they 'Empower' their children rather than 'Bestow' on them.



When we talk about bestowing - it is one of the worst thing one can do to the children ...it kills all initiative in them and makes them almost like beggar on street looking out for free doles in life. It is like giving a fish to a hungry man to satisfy his hunger one time. Empowering is like teaching him to fish so that he does not go hungry at all ever after. It dose not take a genius to figure out as to what is better - Empower or Bestow. You want to EMPOWER your loved ones or just plain Bestow ?

Happy Reading - Uncle Teen !

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

INVITING THE TEEN BRIGADE

Image
God's gift to us is the talent he blessed us with,  Our gift to him is when we use that talent.  HR Power House is about making sure of that.   The Teen Brigade is undisputedly the most powerful potential talent power house. Unleashing all the potential in them is like ensuring a great present and future for humanity. There is a need for three stakeholders (Parents. Teachers & Children) to understand that energy and mind at this stage is like a monkey.....It will jump in all directions.   Contrary to the popular belief it is seldom that the teenagers are malintentioned....in fact he/she is struggling to discover his/her identity and deal with biological, physiological and psychological changes.  HR Power House aims to bring together all the stake holders, though titled as ' Teen1o1 : Confide & Guide Hangout ' - A hangout for  teenagers,  parents and teachers.  Teenagers would specially love it as we believe strongly that ...
Read more

Straight from the Heart of A Teen Dilemma

Image
Straight From The heart of A Teen Dilemma - Author - Stuti Kwatra, Class IX The age of adolescence, the so-called “Golden Age”. So, here I am going to focus on what sorts  of problems are faced by us adolescents or rather known “teens”. First, parents start expecting  things from their children as they grow. We teens get a lot of parental pressure and get frustrated.  Some thoughts that commonly come to a child’s mind are, “Why am I suddenly a responsible  one?” “Why do I have to study so hard?” “Why can’t I text my friends instead of studying?”  Apart from this, we get a lot of peer pressure and get pressurized by our friends. Take an example - if the friend gets good result on a particular assignment and a child scores low, he gets  pressurized and his confidence level drops. If a child’s friend goes out for a party and he is not  able to, the child starts blaming his parents, while parents only would want their child to be safe. ...
Read more

Teaching Kids Patience

Image
Patience is a virtue that can be instilled in children. Patience teaches children the value of delaying gratification, a skill necessary for maturity. Patience can help develop the ability to think through and resolve problems; it can counteract impulsivity and acting out behaviors. The value of patience lies in its ability to lead to inner calm and emotional strength of character. Teaching patience by example helps children learn resilience, self-containment, and the ability to self-soothe. These are qualities needed for emotional maturity. General Tips for Parents on Teaching Patience to Children Teach by modeling . Refrain from snapping impatiently at your children. Use "no-shaming" techniques to help your child understand that she or he may need to wait or take some time before a need is addressed or request is fulfilled. Take time to look at the child and listen carefully when she is talking to you. Giving your attention even when you are distracted or busy shows...
Read more