MyTeacherToolsIt’s important that you give your child the opportunity to exercise and practice their independence whilst they are young. There may come times where you’re not able to offer help and by having prior knowledge and experience of handling things themselves, they won’t be stuck. They will be able to care for themselves, making life easier for you and putting them at an advantage for when the time comes for them to move away. Continue reading for parental guidance on building independence.
Tidying
This is an important life skill that your child will need in order to maintain a clean environment and healthy habits. You can start by getting them to tidy up their toys after play time – something that they will need to do when they are at nursery.
How to Get Dressed
Your child will gradually need to learn how to dress themselves. That includes doing their shoes. It will give you one less thing to worry about in the morning ahead of the school run and something that you can teach by lending them a hand. You may get them to dress one half of themselves while you dress the other.
Eating
If you have a young child, and if they’re not actively trying already, try encouraging them to pick up their food and eat for themselves. You can do this by doing so yourself slowly and showing that you’re enjoying their food.
How to Cook
If your child is a little older, you can teach them how to make quick and simple foods. There may be times that you are ill or that they’re away from home and they may need to be able to take care of food themselves. It doesn’t need to be anything extravagant – simple sandwiches will suffice.
Tips
A few things to remember when introducing anything new to your child are:
- To phase changes in gradually – sudden and abrupt changes can cause stress and anxiety.
- Introduce these responsibilities when there is little else going on – If there is too much going on around them, your child may already feel overwhelmed. They will need a sense of normalcy and for things to be kept the same.
- Praise – Encouragement is always the way forward. Preparing your child for being able to do something all by themselves can help them to feel a sense of accomplishment/satisfaction and they will likely be more receptive to doing it again in the future.
