As your child gets older, they will need to become less reliant on you and be able to take care of things for themselves. Things like cleaning, remembering important dates and getting dressed as well as many others. Practice can help them to get used to them and become more independent. We have teamed up with an independent school in Kingston upon Thames to share how you can help your child to become more independent.
Give Them the Opportunity
As a parent, it may be tempting to take care of things for your child. While it may help in the short term, it can deprive them of the opportunity to learn things for themselves and make it difficult for them to adjust later in life. Instead, give your child ample opportunity when you feel that they are ready to take on new responsibilities and ease them in. Things like staying home alone for short periods of time and getting the bus to school by themselves when they are old enough will make them feel very independent.
Making Their Own Choices
Giving children the privilege to make their own choices on things like shopping, for example, can help them to feel important and feel as though their ideas are valued and respected. They will also have the opportunity to practise using their critical thinking skills as they compare options just as adults do.
Routine
Disrupting your child’s routine can create stress which is why when trying to phase in any change, it’s important to do so at times when there are few others. Also, to prevent this, you should try to make gradual changes. For example, if you’re teaching your child to get dressed for school, you can start by getting them to dress their bottom half while you dress their top before handing that responsibility over too. The same goes for putting on shoes. You can gradually build them up to putting on their own shoes and socks by splitting the load between yourselves until they are ready.