How to Encourage Independence in Your Child

Encouraging your child to be independent is tough, especially for a mother. No mom wants to her baby to not need her anymore, but it is important to foster a child's independence from an early age so that they can be fully functioning adults.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. If your child is a toddler, let her make simple choices by herself. For example, offer her carrots or peas for dinner. Offer her different choices of clothing to wear that is easy to put on, then, let her dress herself. Your toddler may come up with some interesting looks (my daughter would put her shirt around her waist as a skirt) but, if you have no place to go that day, let her wear it. It gives children self-esteem to do things by themselves and self-esteem leads to independence.

2. As your child gets older, encourage him to play with other children at the park or get him involved in a play group. Children need to know there are other people in the world besides Mommy and Daddy and they need to learn how to interact with those people. When your child has an altercation, teach him how to solve the problem himself. Kids like to know that they don't have to come to a parent every time they have a problem and it is good for them to know how to be self-reliant for later in life.

3. When your child is young you want to give them tools that they can use to help themselves fix their own problems. Teach them how to pick out clothes, how to do chores, how to get along with others, and what society expects of them. If you work hard to remember that you are growing your child to be a functioning adult, everything else will fall into place.

Tips & Warnings

• Even when you are teaching your child to be independent, let her know that you are right behind her no matter what. Your child should never feel like they are facing life alone.
• Give your child choices within reason. Never give them a choice that may lead to a dangerous or unhealthy result.