|
|
Tips on fostering your child’s independence:
As a parent and teacher living in our fast paced society I have been guilty of doing things for my children and students that they are very capable of doing for themselves. We seem to always be in a hurry rushing out the door for school, work, activities, etc... We need to slow down and allow our children to have the time to do things for themselves.
• Pick out an outfit for your child the night before. Encourage your child to dress themselves fully for the day.
• Be sure to choose clothes for them that are child friendly, easy to pull on and take off. Try to steer away from pants with buttons, hooks and belts.
• Teach your child how to put on their outer wear. Again be conscious of materials that they can manipulate easily. Put their name in their jacket and make your child aware of where their name is and what it looks like.
• Now that they are in school, have your child practice opening and closing their lunchbox.
• Handling their bathroom needs is essential when attending school. Encourage them to take care of wiping and teaching them proper hygiene during and after using the bathroom.
• Instructing your child how to use the proper eating utensils, napkins, and promoting good table manners is helpful to the teachers as well. Your child needs to be able to handle their snack time at school with the least amount of mess possible.
Giving your child the opportunity to do things for themselves fosters confidence and independence in them and gives you extra time for them and yourself.