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HOW TO GIVE YOUR CHILD MORE INDEPENDENCE

These days, parents being overprotective is a lifestyle run by fear for their children’s safety and well being. The truth is, kids need to experience the world for themselves to be able to grow and learn.

It is important to find the balance between protection and freedom when it comes to your kids.

Many parents feel as though we are all raising our children in a dangerous world and because of this many people are parenting from an overprotective, over-involved standpoint.

It is important to note though, that protecting your children too much can be almost as detrimental as not doing enough.

It may seem as though it is safer for your kids to spend all their time in structured, supervised environments, monitored constantly by caring adults but the truth is, they need freedom.

How to Give Your Child More Independence

HOW TO GIVE YOUR CHILD MORE INDEPENDENCE

Children should be able to navigate the social world, solve their own problems, regulate themselves and even organize activities without constant adult interference.

This means they need us to stop trying to protect them from every single little thing. Our children need us to give them the freedom to get out in the world, despite any dangers you are worried about.

Remember, our job as parents isn’t only to protect our children, it is also to prepare them for independent life and we can not wait until they are adults to start practicing.

Starting now is crucial to developing the skill they will require to succeed and thrive.

HOW TO GIVE CHILDREN MORE INDEPENDENCE

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How to Give Your Children More Independence

LET THEM PLAY OUTSIDE

If you have a fenced in yard, you can allow your little ones the freedom to explore. This will allow you to know they are safe from the road or other people while being allowed to let go a little.

LET THEM WALK TO SCHOOL

There is a huge sense of freedom and power that children feel when they can have their own needs met without the assistance of an adult.

Even something as simple as walking to the store to purchase a popsicle or walking themselves to school in the morning will allow them to feel a huge sense of independence.

If your child is old enough to walk to school or the store by themselves, ease your mind by going on walks together and practicing with them.  Have them show you how they will walk there, honor walk signs and use crosswalks and when they are ready, let them walk themselves.

DON’T HOVER

Don’t be a helicopter parent.  When you take your kids to the park, don’t hover over them.

Allow them the freedom to climb on the structures and swing without help.

Allowing them the space to conquer obstacles on their own will let them know that they can do things independently with confidence.

It is extremely important that we give our child more independence to learn. It is natural for parents to worry but we need to use our judgment and teach them to be responsible and independent when they are young in order to give them the tools to navigate the world on their own.

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