How Can I help my Child be More Independent?
As kindergarten gets closer, it's important to help your child learn independence. Doing things for themselves, like putting on a jacket or tying their shoe, will help build their confidence. It can also lower any anxieties they may have about doing things without a teacher's help.
Here are a few tips parents can do now to help children develop independence:
Let them Choose
It can be hard to do but allow your child to make some of their own decisions. Let them pick out their own clothing (including mismatched socks!), which books to read at bedtime, or even which tv show to watch. These small decisions can empower them in a big way!
Offer Choices
To help guide your child through those decisions, give them several opportunities to make choices. For example, would you like to wear the red coat or the blue jacket? As the parent, you know the weather calls for a coat, so that's not the choice. The choice is which jacket! Giving options helps to set expectations and boundaries for results you can both be happy with.
Be Structured, but Flexible
In kindergarten, students quickly learn that they follow a schedule throughout the school day. In most classrooms, the teacher discusses the day's schedule during the first minutes of the morning. Predictability and consistency help children feel safe, and maintaining a routine helps your child know what to expect. At the same time, being flexible and willing to make changes when needed is also important.
Help them Progress
As children master skills, help them progress by encouraging them to learn a new, slightly more difficult skill. Perhaps your child can put on their jacket but hasn't learned to zip it up. Or, they can put on socks and shoes but need help tying the laces. Encourage your child to learn these new skills and practice together for several days. Soon your child will develop the new skill independently!
Embrace Mistakes
Remember, mistakes are a part of life. Children and adults alike learn valuable lessons from mistakes. As children get older, parents can't always be there to help them make the right decisions. It’s important to allow them to make mistakes, because it's in those moments of trial and error that sometimes they learn the most.
There are many ways you can help encourage independence in your child. Building independence is a key skill that will develop them into strong leaders and lead them on a path to success.