The best thing any mom can do for her kids is give them the tools they need to be confident, to live by their convictions, to be happy on their own terms, and to be respectful of themselves and others in the process. You help your children develop these tools by listening, supporting them, helping them find their own answers, and having them deal with their own issues especially when it means pushing them outside their comfort zone. Through allowing them to be accountable to their own personal experience they are able to build their empowerment toolbox and embrace future challenges with confidence.

Kathy, I love your post about empowering you kids. My kids are young but I believe in what you say. I think that with my oldest I made the mistake of doing everything for him out of love. I helped him because I felt like that was my job but now he's a little older although still young, he wants me to do everything for him and has a fit if I ask him to do anything for himself. My second boy had to learn to do more things for himself because he didn't have my complete and undivided attention so he is much more independant.