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¡Hola Familia! My name is Shauna Hibbitts, and I’m the Founder of eNannylink, an on and offline resource with comprehensive tools and resources for families. My mission is to empower the entire family one child at a time. I’m a bi-lingual (Spanish) Early Childhood Educator of over 25 plus years. In that beautiful time, I‘ve joyfully cared for and taught over 25K children. My eNannylink community has nicknamed me “The Child Whisperer”.

My experience has taught me that my first and favorite job is being Mom. The Parenting journey has its ups and downs yet it’s the most rewarding gift we could possess. Without further ado let’s jump right into the topic of zone of genius!

What Does Zone of Genius Mean?!

Sounds so mysterious right? Your zone of genius helps you understand your strengths and actively work towards them each day. In other words, your zone of genius includes natural born gifts and raw talents that need to be cultivated in order to bring out the best version of yourself.

We are all born with unique gifts, and recognizing your zone of genius will help you navigate through life. Furthermore, we want our children and teenagers to operate from this strong space that they were born with all along. This will ensure that they feel their best!

Unfortunately, most people tend to find out what we are great at when we’re adults. But why?! Most of the time, at some point in our lives, we started following the norm of what others were doing. Years passed by, and we forgot what we loved to do and how great we were at it.

Imagine if our gifts were fostered when we were younger to give us a head start in life? Taking the time to discover your teenager’s zone of genius is extremely important and supports them in developing confidence, resilience, and problem-solving skills. Keep reading for ways to celebrate (and help your teen celebrate) their zone of genius.

5 Ways to Celebrate Your Teenagers’s Zone of Genius

1. Journal.

Take notes of your teen’s abilities, talents, and strengths. Once you encounter their exceptional skills, you’ll want to build on them. Provide access to activities that will engage and keep your teen involved with their zone of genius. Help them celebrate their own strengths!

2. Stay clear of comparison.

This is a danger zone. Comparing your teen with other teens is not the goal here. This will seriously delay the process. Do your best to stay clear from this and not allow others to place your teen in these spaces.

3. Facilitate and/or offer activities.

The arts are a great place to start. Support your teen in enrolling in classes or clubs that may help them (and you) explore their gifts and talents. You may also consider sports, music, or academic classes. Ask your child’s teachers where they shine the most. It could be problem-solving, collaborations, or leadership skills.

4. Take note of weaknesses with compassion.

This is super important to be aware of when scheduling or setting up a learning environment. You want to understand your teen’s triggers and what makes them frustrated. Help them avoid stressors as much as possible throughout the day, as well as developing coping skills for when the stressors arise. When your teen stays in their zone of genius space, they are building their skills on solid ground.

5. help your teen build a gold circle around themselves.

This is vital. I cannot stress enough the importance of helping your teen build a gold circle around themselves. This is a circle that is made up of peers and adults who want to see your teen WIN. They love your teen and see all their beautiful potentials; they want to be there to encourage, inspire, and empower your teenager. A winning team around your child or teen is one of the best gifts parents could give their children.

The Zone of Genius and Beyond

Thank you for exploring the zone of genius with me. I hope these 5 ways of celebrating your teen’s zone of genius help your family! Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

If you need more tools, I recently created my Bi-lingual Youth Empowerment Cards designed for ages 4-16 years old. The cards will build their inner strength, help them tap into their zone of genius, and support overall inner clarity. These cards also offer children and teens an introduction to the Spanish Language. (Look out for free shipping for the Holidays!)

If you would like to know more about me, please visit my website. There you will find my social media hangouts, articles, and more! I also invite you to watch these 2 short videos about the Empowerment Cards: An Introduction and A Demo.

¡Muchas Gracias! Shauna