4 Ways to Encourage Your Child’s Independence

By Susan M. Keenan

One of the problems mums everywhere face is the simple fact that it is usually easier to do things yourself than to ask one of the kids for help. As a result, mums typically take care of a lot of the household chores each day, which is one of the reasons why they are so exhausted as the sun goes down and the moon appears.

Studies have shown that it is actually better to allow your kids to do things for themselves so that they develop a positive sense of independence. What can you do now that will help your child to become more secure in his ability to take care of himself? Actually, you can do quite a bit, and here are four (4) tips to get you started.

1. Provide the Opportunity
The more chances you give your child to complete a task on his own, the more likely it is that he will do so. You might find yourself surprised at how eager your child is to help out at home. My kids always had chores, and believe it or not, their friends would request a set of chores they could do whenever they came over for a play date. Many of them didn’t have any responsibilities at home, and doing chores made them feel important.

2. Modify the Task
If you aren’t quite comfortable in having to go behind your child to pick up the socks that fell out of the laundry pile he was carrying for you, try modifying the task so that it is simpler to handle. For example, provide an appropriately sized basket so that your child can carry it easily. Here’s another example: if your child is too small to reach the dishes in order to help you set the table, simply ask him to put out the napkins and placemats. It’s usually easy to modify a task to make it manageable for the child’s age and size, and this is a great way to encourage independence in your child without making yourself crazy.

3. Do It Together
If you want your child to learn how to complete a task successfully, it’s important to do it together the first few times. This way, you can prevent mistakes from happening and avoid any bad habits that might develop without the proper guidance. If you want your child to rinse the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher, make sure that you fully explain what your expectation is. The best way to do so is by example, so rinse the dishes and load the dishwasher together for the first few times.

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4. Ask for Requests
Allowing your child an opportunity to select a chore on his own not only encourages a sense of independence, but it also provides you with some insight into the type of tasks that your child feels comfortable doing. Giving your kid the ability to select his own chores is a good way to show that you respect his decision-making skills, at least in situations involving household tasks.

Source: childdevelopmentinfo.com