Raising self-reliant and independent kids is an important goal for all parents. As a parent, you want to make sure your child is equipped with the skills necessary for adulthood.
When our kids are independent, they are able to rely on other things for support aside from their parents. As children learn these vital life skills, it helps to build their sense of autonomy and the belief that they are competent and capable of taking care of themselves. Developing independence gives youngsters confidence and a sense of importance, which is essential as they build social relationships. Children who are self-reliant are more able to fully experience life while learning valuable lessons.
It’s never too soon to help instill the building blocks of independence in your child! You can start to encourage independence as early as now with these handy tips!
Allow your kids to do the things they can do for themselves
It’s natural for us as parents to want to assist our children with everything. Many times, we would rather make life as easy as possible for them. However, doing this won’t help our kids learn important skills needed to develop independence in a healthy manner.
Instead, try to avoid doing things for your kids that they are capable of doing themselves. It may be tempting to take over at times, especially when certain tasks can be completed more quickly if we just do them ourselves. However, in order to encourage self-sufficiency, it’s important for us to resist this urge and allow children to do certain things on their own.
These don’t have to be huge tasks. They can be as simple as making their own beds, putting their plates on the sink, getting dressed for school, and putting on their own shoes. It may take a little longer to accomplish these tasks, and they may even require repetition, but this is the best place to start so kids begin to get a taste of independence and responsibility.
Allow kids to contribute, even in little ways
Another excellent way to raise independent kids is to give your child opportunities to help out with household chores. Doing this will help teach children about responsibility, even if you need to offer some assistance.
Assign your child some age-appropriate tasks. For starters, you can begin with simple chores such as folding laundry or emptying the dishwasher. When you allow your child to contribute at home in age-appropriate ways, they are not only developing independence and self-sufficiency, but it will also help them feel that they are an indispensable part of the family.
Focus on children’s efforts instead of failures
Sometimes, the expectations parents put in place for their children may often have unintended consequences, such as triggering social anxieties or feelings of inadequacy. While it can be beneficial to set high standards of achievement for your child, there are times this may also come at a cost. Sometimes, kids can become locked into fear of failure.
So, instead of expecting perfection from your child, we need to teach them how to deal with failure. Encourage children to take risks, and remember not to hold it against them if they make mistakes. Failure and shortcomings are a natural part of growing up, and they play an important role in your child’s learning experience.
At the same time, be sure to recognize your child’s effort. Growth and independence don’t always come from the results, but from the effort and hard work they’ve put into a task.
Encourage problem-solving
It’s kind of hard to resist our parental instinct to jump in and fix our kids’ problems, especially when we see them struggling. However, these types of scenarios present ideal opportunities for your child to find solutions on his or her own. Instead of immediately providing children with a solution, encourage them to brainstorm and by asking them “how” questions.
For example, if your child woke up late for school, you can say something like, “How will you make sure you get up on time tomorrow so you can catch the bus?” If your child has accidentally damaged his or her friend’s book, you might say, “How will you make your friend feel better after you accidentally tore a sheet from her favorite book?”
By resisting the urge to provide children with all of the answers, we’re encouraging them to think for themselves. However, be sure to make yourself available for assistance when needed.
Even though it can be a wonderful feeling to know that our children need us, we also have the responsibility of teaching our kids how to be independent. Use these tips to help you raise self-sufficient, independent kids!
For more parenting tips, or if you’re looking for a child care center that can provide your little one with the best opportunities as they learn and grow, feel free to visit Launchpad Early Education.