7 Formulas That Facilitate The Independence Of The Child
On many occasions, parents feel overwhelmed by the demands of our children. They require us so that we are always by their side and thus cope with the situations of daily life. This is telling us that our little ones have low autonomy and that is why they need us. Therefore, we must promote the independence of the child.
In this way we will be promoting self-confidence, since you will realize that you are capable of performing tasks that help you to function in your daily life. Once they can act on their own and be more autonomous, parents will feel more relieved in the housework.
In the preschool stage, developing a child’s independence is one of the key developmental tasks. It is from the age of 2 when the boy begins to acquire skills that help him to function better in his environment. They seek to be independent, eat alone, take dirty clothes to wash, throw things away, etc.
We, as parents, must encourage this natural disposition of the little one, thus we will be facilitating their independence.
How can we promote it? Keep reading. We will give you the keys that will facilitate the autonomy of the child.
Formulas to facilitate the child’s independence
Set small, achievable goals that encourage your independence
You have to start with small goals that are achievable according to your age. Thus, the child will be successful when they carry them out and will be motivated to continue developing their autonomy. If we set goals that involve a level of cognitive and motor skills for which the child is not prepared, it will be difficult for him to do them and in this way he will become discouraged and stop trying.
Explain what to do and how
We must explain very clearly and in a few words how to do what we are asking, in order to facilitate the child’s independence. For example: “We are going to brush your teeth because you are very old and you are going to do it yourself.” We explain how to do it and we wash them at the same time so you can see how it is done.
Involve the child in tasks of daily life and give him responsibilities
From a young age, the child can be asked to collaborate in simple activities, such as setting the table, taking clothes to be washed, throwing things away, tidying, etc. In this way we will be stimulating him to develop his capacities and we will make him feel important in family life.
Allowing him to gradually assume responsibility for his self-care
It is important that children gradually learn hygiene habits and take care of their personal image and body. For this it is necessary that we give him his space to learn how to do it. When they are very young they do not have the skills to do it, but once we see that they are capable, we must allow them to do it alone while we supervise.
In this way they will learn to dress little by little, seeing how parents do it; they will learn by imitation to wash their hands, teeth, etc.
Give them time to try to do things themselves, even if the result is not perfect
We must give more importance to the development of the child’s independence before things are done well. If a child eats alone but ends up stained and takes a long time, nothing happens, then he washes himself. You have to be patient. We should not feed him to avoid staining and to go faster.
Give positive reinforcement when acting independently
Praising and reinforcing is one of the most effective ways to encourage desired behaviors. So when the child acts independently, it is important to praise him and make him see that we are proud of him. This way you will keep trying and achieving small achievements.
Allow them to make decisions about themselves
If we allow them to make decisions about themselves and aspects of their daily routine, we will increase their independence. To do this, we must establish clear limits, that is, let him choose his coat or have one thing or another for dinner. But beware, we must never allow him to go out without a coat or to stop eating because he wants to.
Have you used any of these formulas with your child? If you have not used them, try to do it, you will surely notice good results. In addition, you will feel a little relieved, because your little one will start helping with the housework.
Main image courtesy of © wikiHow.com