How to get your child to do things for themselves
“Mum, can you get my jumper?"
"Dad ... I need my shoes on."
"I said, I want YOU to do it for me!"
Sound familiar? It's a wonderful thing when we have children who are fiercely independent (wonderful though no doubt challenging at times). But what if our children rely on us to do everything for them. Should we?
Helping our children to become more independent is an important part of parenting. Why? Because we are teaching our children skills which will set them up for life. Life skills like cooking our own dinner, washing our own clothes or getting a job. These tasks help us live day to day.
I recently heard author, Julie Lythcott-Haims, @jlythcotthaims, share 4 simple steps for when teaching our kids any new life skill:
1️⃣ First do it for them
2️⃣ Then do it with them
3️⃣ Then watch them do it
4️⃣ Then they can do it completely independently.
The third and fourth steps are said to be the hardest but are a great reminder that developing independence is a learnt skill that takes time and practise to master. If you've been wondering how to get your child to carry out a skill for themselves, maybe try these steps!
About the writer:
Lauren is a speech pathologist who has over 15 years experience working with children and teenagers who present with a range of learning and communication difficulties. Lauren is passionate about helping others and loves to find simple and creative ways to make learning fun!
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