How To Teach Your Child To Be More Independent

Parenting is one of the toughest tasks anyone would experience, and it gets tougher when you have to teach your child to be more independent. Naturally, children love to depend on their parents, and the transition process is not easy.

However, everyone would also agree that a child cannot depend on their parents forever. Else, that child would have difficulties when they become an adult. So, we often see parents struggling to break their children away from that dependency phase as they want them to be independent individuals.

But, how do you teach your child to be more independent? Does it come naturally?

Allow us to tell you that it does not come naturally. However, the process would be easier when you follow some steps, which is this article’s focus. This article sets out to talk about ways to teach your child to be more independent.

It is never an easy process, and you shouldn’t give up when it seems like you aren’t getting it right. Instead, stay focused, and you will see that your child will slowly get accustomed to the process, and the child will become independent in no time.

Given below are the ways to teach your child to be more independent:

• Lead by example

Typically; children are always looking up to their parents, wanting to copy what you do. So, if you want to teach your child to be more independent, you need to be a good role model for your child to emulate.

For example, if you want your child to always clear the table immediately after eating, you also need to do the same thing. It would not make sense that you keep shouting at the child to do an activity while doing the opposite of what you preach.

If you keep doing this, the child will rebel at a point and might even challenge you. But if you lead by example, you would not even need to tell your child certain things before they do it.

Some people say that charity begins at home, and it can play out in this case. Thus, it would be best to lead by example to teach your child to be more independent.

• Start early

Do you want to teach your child to be more self-reliant? Then you should get started as soon as possible. Everyone would agree that it is easier to teach a child to follow certain routines or practices when they are younger. They begin to indulge in the instructions at this stage, and it becomes a part of their everyday life.

However, if you wait until they get older, they will find it difficult. For example, if you are always helping your child to wash their clothes, they will find it hard to take over this duty when they are older. So, if you wait until the child becomes 18 years old before they can wash, you will see that the child will never have the interest to wash.

But if you start grooming this child from a younger age, there will be hassles. Therefore, if you would like to teach your child to be more independent, you must start early.

• Give feedback

Understandably, everyone loves to get feedback when they do a job. For example, if your manager gives you a task in the office, you want to get feedback to know how you fared. This scenario also plays out when you want to teach your child to be more independent. If you are confused, allow us to explain how it works.

When you tell a child to do something, it is always best to give them feedback when they do it efficiently. It serves as a confidence booster, and they will want to keep doing that thing, making them more independent.

However, if you do not praise the child or give feedback, the child will automatically believe that they cannot do the task. So, the child will lose interest in it and would prefer being dependent on the parent.

Of course, we know that you do not want such to happen. Therefore, you must always give feedback if you want to teach your child to be more independent.

• Be open to their mistakes

Everyone is prone to mistakes, and children are not an exception. Therefore, it would always be best to lower your expectations when you want to teach your child to be more independent. After all, it would not make sense to expect a child to be perfect at doing a thing for the first time.

Some people say that perfection and excellence take time, and we agree with their claim. However, it would be best if you were patient when you want to teach your child to be more independent.

In addition, it would be best to remember that little drops of water make a mighty ocean. Once you have such a mindset, you will be well-prepared for the process.

• Assign tasks to them 

Unfortunately, we’ve seen parents express their desire to have more independent children, but they shy away from giving their kids tasks and responsibilities. So, how do you expect that child to become more independent?

If you want to teach your child to be more independent, you must be sure to include the child in the affairs of the house and other responsibilities. It would be best to remember that people love to win and accomplish their tasks, and a child is not an exception.

Once you assign a task to your child, it builds their spirit of independence. So, you can teach your child to be more independent when you give the child responsibilities. 

• Communicate effectively

The way you communicate matters if you want to teach your child to be more independent. For example, when talking with your child, you should do it lovingly to encourage the child. This way, the child would be more willing to carry out the instructions.

Yes, you can teach your child to be more independent in a loving manner. What matters is that both parties get clear information.

• Give rewards

Do you like to receive gifts? If yes, don’t you think your child would also love to receive gifts? So, if you wish to teach your child to be more independent, you should also be ready to give rewards. The idea of the rewards is to appreciate the child for a job well done.

Now, you would see that you can teach your child to be more independent in a stress-free manner.

• Do not be overbearing 

It would be best not to be overbearing when you teach your child to be more independent.  Once you give instructions, give the child space and let them carry out the duty.

It would be wrong to keep hovering around the child after giving instructions, as it is not a method to teach your child to be more independent.

• Establish routines

We often see that people are comfortable with routines, and children are not an exception. So, you can use this method to teach your child to be more independent.

Once the child gets used to certain routines, it will be a part of their lives forever, and they will be independent as you desire.

• Develop trust

The ultimate objective for parents and children should be to form a child-parent relationship, and it would also help when you want to teach your child to be more independent.

Once you share a trust bond with your child, they want to heed your instructions. Also, they would be free to share their challenges with you when the need arises.

 [Read Positive Child Discipline]

Conclusion

This article has shown you the different ways to teach your child to be more independent. Once you do these, you will be pleased with the outcome as you would have an independent and dependable child. 

Happy Parenting!