As mamas, we want to hold onto whatever we can for as long as we can.
It took me forever to get rid of the pacifier because I was sure it would cause an uproar. It didn’t.
I held off weaning because I was positive we would be miserable when I finally quit nursing. How could I tell my child no? He was fine.
So with that in mind, I’m here to say this …
Stop babying your kids.
I know you love to feel needed, but your precious baby can open her own packages. I see this so much at school; you’d be amazed at what your child can do when no one is there to do it for them.
They open milk, tear open little bags of baby carrots, open their own chips. They basically do everything on their own.
Don’t tie their shoes for them (within reason … pre-k is another story). Let them use scissors. Allow your children to get messy and try.
Let them make mistakes.
I have to catch myself, not only as a mom but also as a teacher. I have to let them do for themselves. We aren’t raising these children to depend on us. We are raising them to teach the next generation.
Some kids are naturally independent. They want to do it all and all of it alone.
It’s the kids that want more help than they need that we have to watch. Instead of immediately doing whatever the task is for them, allow them the space to try to do it alone first. Then, if they absolutely can’t, provide guidance to complete the task.
If you think your child isn’t completing tasks that you feel they should by a certain age, try asking their teacher or sitter if they do that in the school setting. I’m always amazed at what my child can do when I’m not present.
If ever you want to increase what your child is responsible for, try looking for chore charts by age. Tons of bloggers have written on that topic before, here are a few good ones … Chore Chart By Age // Your Modern Family Chores // The Growing Child: School Age
It is so important to foster independence in children in order to help them grow up to be successful adults.
How do you help your child become more independent? Or this is an area you struggle with?
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