How to Teach Your Child Independence at an Early Age

You can teach your child independence at an early age by not doing for them what they can do themselves. 

Every human being needs independence to function properly, and it is better to start teaching them at an early age. 

As your child grows, they need to be equipped with the basic skills to help them navigate life. Interestingly, independence should be the platform where other skills are shown. Without independence, there will be no room for practice and growth.

Benefits of Teaching Your Child Independence 

There are benefits to teaching your child independence, especially at an early age, such as helping them learn to do things for themselves. 

No one gets better or grows while doing nothing. Growth happens when there is an activity; therefore, teaching your child independence allows them to learn to do things for themselves. 

Children are capable of doing many things on their own. They can change their clothes, pack their toys, etc. Allow them to do the ones they can without interfering. 

Teaching them independence also prepares them for the challenges they might face in the future. As we know, life comes with different challenges. Challenges are one of the things that make life interesting. 

Teaching your child independence will help them tackle challenges and be better at solving their problems themselves. 

Also Read: When Should You Teach Your Child About Sex and At What Age?

What is the Best Age to Start Teaching Your Child Independence? 

There is no particular age your child must get to before you should start teaching them how to be independent, but there are suggestions. Different opinions suggest ages four to six to be a good age to start. 

Age four is recommended because though every child is different, many start exploring at that age. 

This is the age most children start trying things out, exploring their environment, and experimenting. This is also the age when they are hardly quiet or calm. You see them in their room at this moment, and the next second you are hearing their voices on the balcony. 

Since age four is considered the beginning of a child’s formative period, it is best to also utilize the opportunity to teach them independence and prepare them for tomorrow. 

Five Ways to Teach Your Child Independence at an Early Age 

One thing is to be advised to teach your child independence at an early age, but another thing is: how do you do it?

Teaching children, especially at a tender age, is mostly challenging, as their learning phase can be chaotic. This moment they are being a good child; the next moment they are everywhere displacing things. 

One of the things you need through this process is patience. You have to be patient with your child as they learn in their dynamic way.

If you can exercise patience, you will soon see the results that will make you prove. Below are five effective ways you can start teaching your child independence today. 

Also Read: Do This to Help Your Child Read and Write Faster

Give Them Opportunities to Make Choices on Their Own

Create opportunities for your child to make choices for themselves. Allowing them to make choices helps build their confidence. They will start realizing that they are capable of making decisions. 

You can do that simply by allowing them to choose the clothes they will wear. It is simple, right? But don’t underestimate its effectiveness. If your child is still very young, leaving them to choose from a full closet of clothes can be overwhelming for them. So, you can make things a lot easier for them by initially picking out a few clothes for them, maybe the night before. 

By picking out a few clothes, it becomes easier for them to make their choice and also save you time. So, you are achieving two things at once: you are saving time and also teaching them the necessary skills. 

At first, your child may find it hard to properly match colours. Believe me, you don’t want to be in a situation where you’re rushing out and they appear looking like the rainbow. It can be frustrating. Therefore, you want to limit their options to a few colours that easily match, such as blue, black, etc. 

Encourage Them to Take Charge of their Hygiene 

Teach them how to take charge of their hygiene. Staying clean and healthy is a serious business, and as a parent, if your child learns the basic ways to stay clean and healthy, it will save you both money and time. 

You can encourage them to always wash their hands with soap and clean water before and after eating and after using the restroom. It is also important that you encourage them to wash their hands once they are back home. 

Teach them the proper way to brush their teeth and encourage them to brush twice daily. While teaching them, always explain to them why they should take them seriously. 

Assign Some Responsibilities to Your Child

No matter how young your child is, whether four years old or older, there is always something you can assign to them. Don’t conclude that they can’t handle any form of responsibility because they can. 

These responsibilities can be to wipe the dining before meals and clean up afterward. If you have pets, your four-year-old can adequately handle the responsibility of feeding them or changing their water. 

No matter how intangible the responsibility may look, give them something to be in charge of. 

If your child is seven years or older, you can assign house chores to them. They can be in charge of ensuring the floors are clean by sweeping them. They can also take care of the dishes and some level of laundry. 

Assigning responsibility to your child helps them to learn to be responsible and accountable, which aids maturity. This is a brilliant way to teach your child independence at an early age.

Also Read: How to Stop Yelling and Spanking Your Child

Teach Them Problem-Solving Skills and How to Handle Negative Emotions in Healthy Ways

Teaching your child independence isn’t limited to the home. Don’t forget their social life. We are social beings, therefore we can’t be without some level of socialization. 

As they grow older, they will start encountering life challenges. Teach them some problem-solving skills to prepare them because no life is without challenges. 

At an early age, teach your child how to handle negative emotions such as anger, jealousy, sadness, and rejection. Explain to them that these emotions are normal, but it is unhealthy and unprofitable to dwell in them. They should know that not everyone will accept them and they won’t be accepted everywhere. Teach them how to handle rejection. 

These skills will help them relate better with people and navigate the social space. 

Let Your Child Spend Time with Other Children

Allowing your child to spend time with other children presents them the opportunity to practice what you teach them. Let them go to those school events, picnics, and family dates and have the opportunity to interact with other children.

In the course of their interactions, they will have to solve problems and learn to associate with others without your help. They will also know how to make friends and build relationships. 

Not exposing your child to events and situations where they can exercise what they are learning from you is counterproductive. Don’t overthink it; just let them explore and interact. Once you know they will be safe there, then let them socialize and you will be boosting their self-esteem and independence. 

Also Read: How to Teach Your Child in a Way They Will Learn Faster

Conclusion 

Your child should learn independence from an early age. Independence creates room for practice and enables them to build the needed capacity to excel through life. 

When teaching your child independence, you literally have to embrace patience because they are in their developmental stage. They are exploring and trying to understand their environment and the world as much as they can. Therefore, it will look chaotic to you and feel frustrating at first.

The goal is to help them be able to do things for themselves, whether it is housekeeping, personal hygiene, solving life problems, building relationships, etc., they can independently navigate life.