Children are usually insulated from the outside world and can even be boxed in by their parent's ideals. While this is not a bad thing, sometimes it can be truly heart wrenching if the child comes from a culture of drugs, abuse, and poverty. It is hard to teach anything much less the possibility of a powerful and new reality that is waiting for them as they grow up that they can separate from their upbringing.

We can use parables, stories and real life examples of positive ways of living life to teach children that they do not have to be defined by their circumstances in child or adulthood. When they grow up they get to lead their life the way they want. By providing them with good and safe examples at an early age of how self control and self awareness, along with honesty and personal integrity, creates their reality they can begin to see how exciting and wonderful life can be when they are in charge of their destiny.

As an adult it can be frightening to empower our children to be in charge of their own lives. We fear rebellion, and frankly we fear our children following a different path than we desire for them. It feels scary and unstable. But the truth is, when we allow our children to think for themselves, make their own choices (with our experienced guidance), and let them be responsible for those choices, they learn at a young age to make better choices. The experience in making choices is what gives you the ability to discern which choice is best.

Naturally these lessons should be based on each individual child's intellectual and emotional capabilities to understand that an action has a consequence. This can start as early as two years old, when they start becoming autonomous beings. "Do you want to wear this sweater, or that sweater?" "Wow all your toys are in the floor, let’s pick them up before we leave." "How do you feel about your brother biting you?"  All these kind of interactions and dialogue are opportunities for children to learn lessons in consequences and reality.