Hold up a minute-I already know I have lost several of you with the title of my post! Some adults get pretty uncomfortable with the idea of sharing power with kids. Unfortunately, the term “share power” is often misunderstood by teachers, caregivers, and family members. Sharing power with young people means we are respecting them, including them, collaborating with them, and letting them lead appropriately.

There are several important things to remember when we talk about sharing power. First, sharing power certainly doesn’t mean that kids get all the power. Adults have experience and knowledge that young people have not yet gained. Adult caregivers have a responsibility to guide, to set limits, and to keep young people safe. Second, sharing power looks different in different spaces and different situations.  While it might be appropriate to give a kindergartner the power to choose what to wear to school, it may not be appropriate for him to decide what to wear to your aunt’s wedding! A young person’s age, stage of development, knowledge level, and experience level should always be considered when deciding the best way to share power.

Transforming instructions into questions is one great way to share power with youth of all ages and developmental levels.  Imagine for a moment an adult and an 8 year old making cookies together. Transforming instructions into age-appropriate questions might look something like this:

Making choices, working through challenges, making mistakes, and learning from those mistakes are all things that can occur when you are willing to take the time and make the space to share power with youth. Taking a step back and letting young people lead will help them develop into competent, confident adults that take responsibility for their own actions. For more great ideas about how you can share power with the youth in your life, check out this webpage from the Search Institute.