Things I learened from my Child about Child Empowerment

I have an embarrassing confession to make while I was a student in in my university years I gigged as a clown in children’s birthday parties.

Yes, as a clown, you read it right. With the funny cloths and make up and silly, colorful, curly clown hair.

Thanks to this gig, I now know how to make balloon animals.
A while ago, my boys were playing around the house as they stumbled across a pack of these balloons, which you can fold into animal shapes. They brought me the pack and asked me to make them balloon animals.
So first we needed to inflate the balloons but… inflating these balloons with a domestic pump is hmmm… mission practically impossible.

I told my boys that this pump is not easy to use like the ones they see in the fair so what do you say we give it up and do something else?

My eldest did not wait a second before he told me: “mom, if you believe you can inflate these balloons, you will do it.”
Hmmm. This is interesting. “I wonder where he got this idea from” I thought to my self, smiling.
After such a statement there was no way I was going to give up.

I immediately started inflating the balloons. The children were so happy they were jumping up and down, cheering, giving advice, laughing and playing enthusiastically.
So one attempt after the other I finally got one balloon inflated and then another and another and a whole bunch of balloons were ready for us to shape into animals.

After inflating the balloons, I started folding them and creating the shapes they asked for. The atmosphere was great and you could feel the happiness in our house.
And the results?

#1. Very satisfied children who now own a series of dogs, giraffes and swords, plus some unidentified objects, all made from balloons.

#2. My children now know they can do anything, if only they set their minds to success in whatever they want to achieve.

#3. I also learned an important lesson. I know I can make anything happen. My children will be there for me to remind me that grownups need to be empowered too, even when they are focused on empowering their children.

This was a well worth challange and a learning experience of the fun kind.