Letting your child do little things for themselves with your supervision helps them develop independence, which will promote their self-confidence. When involving your child in a task, it’s always good to praise them for their independence. Whether your child got themselves ready for bed all on their own or they put their toys away, praise your child for the progress. As your child’s thinking skills develop, they will want to do more for themselves. Here are some ways to support your child’s independence.
Let them do tasks themselves: Things like putting on their shoes, emptying their backpack, and helping with chores may take longer for your child to do, but these tasks help their independence in the long run.
Doing tasks together: Doing tasks together is a great way to foster independence in your child. For example, if you are making breakfast in the morning, after you crack the eggs into the bowl, have your child whisk the eggs or have them help set the table. Daily things like this are great ways to show independence.
Encouraging them to play on their own: When children play alone they use their imaginations to explore their interests. This also helps develop their independent skills.
Involving your child: Getting your child involved in sports, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, or other activities is another great way to foster their independence.
Harbor Child Care is here to help foster your child’s independence any way we can. For more information, contact us at (516) 493-9830.
