How can I promote my child’s autonomy?

Video by stupefy

First and foremost, to help your child become more independent in every aspect of their daily life, there are some very simple rules to follow:

• Respect their rhythm, because each child is different, and be patient: autonomy is a long learning process.
• Don’t project your anxieties. The autonomy of the child goes hand in hand with the ability of his parents to “let go”.
• Do not compare (with your other children, friends, cousins ​​or the neighbor’s son). This can only cause blockages, more or less important.
• Don’t judge him or make fun of him if he finds himself in failure or in difficulty. Your child needs to feel confident around you at all times.
• Stay calm in the face of accidents that inevitably happen when you try something new. After several tries and as his autonomy develops, your child’s actions will be more precise, and small catastrophes will become rarer.
• Show him the gestures. It is by teaching him – and not by doing for him – all these small everyday actions that seem so natural to you, as an adult, that he will succeed in doing things on his own.

These are common sense rules of course, but it’s always best to keep them in mind. Here are some tips to help your child gain independence at home, whether in their own space or in rooms where the whole family lives.

Tips for developing your autonomy in the kitchen

The kitchen is a room in the house where the whole family can get together easily. The perfect opportunity for your little wolf to show that he is no longer a baby and also knows how to do things like a big one. Depending on his age, there are plenty of little things he can do on his own. Here are some examples to promote autonomy.

So, plan to store in a cupboard or drawer within easy reach of the things that your child may need to use (such as cutlery, plates, glasses, napkins, trivets, etc.). This will make it easier for them to participate in the various activities around the meal (setting the table, helping to prepare certain dishes, etc.) and helping according to their age and abilities. A real bonus for you!

As long as it is still too small to use fragile dishes and not adapted to its morphology, opt for models in melamine or bamboo fiber which will still allow it to do everything like a grown-up.

Also remember to provide them with the necessary equipment to repair the damage often encountered when children begin to become independent. So that they can clean up any spilled glasses or spills when they start to serve themselves, your child needs to know where it is all and be able to access it without difficulty. With the help of a small sponge or a nice cloth, your child can fix his mistakes on his own, and he is often happy to do so.

As soon as he is old enough to make it, let him eat his meal alone, while planning something to protect his environment: a mop or an old table set under his chair to spare the kitchen floor, and of course a bib apron for his little one (sorry, his big one!). Once a little older, he too can have his own napkin like adults, and roll it in his personalized napkin ring when the meal is over. Quite a symbol that will show him that he has really grown.

When he becomes more skilled, let him open his little yogurt on his own. It’s a task that obviously seems super simple to you, but this activity nevertheless requires dexterity and concentration for your little one: you have to hold the pot with one hand, grab the corner of the lid with the other , gently pull out. So many steps to be taken which represent a big step towards autonomy and real learning for his little hands.

Another tip for teaching a child to be more independent: invite them to prepare meals with you, even when they are very young, and give them a few simple tasks that they will do first by your side and then independently: weighing, kneading, cutting certain fruits or vegetables (bananas yes, pineapples or other hard ingredients that require the use of a knife, even if he wants to do it alone, that’s no).

So we let him grow up by experimenting, trying and inevitably provoking a few blunders. So we don’t scream when he spills a glass, we show him how to mop up the water. Likewise, we do not cry when part of our little Swiss is found on his pants, we ask him to remove the largest and hop, we put the garment in the machine with its usual Le Chat Sensitive detergent (indeed, the clumsiness being numerous during the learning period, the clothes undergo many washes, so you might as well opt for a detergent that is gentle on the skin and on your loulou’s clothes).

And to show him all the confidence that you, his parents, have in him, you can also reserve a daily mission for him, in line with his age of course, that he should not forget, such as filling the bowl of your pet.

How to teach him independence in the wardrobe?

To dress, autonomy is also learned step by step in children. To simplify the task for your loulou, start by always dressing him in the same order, this will help him memorize the different gestures to be done on a daily basis. You can even make up a song with the different pieces to put on, like a little how-to guide, to make it easier to remember.

For his part, your child can first of all select his clothes, because he will be able very early on to make choices, more or less harmonious of course, but which will strengthen his individuality. He can then learn to put on his clothes on his own, before finally being able to tie them (putting on a button or closing a zipper requires training). A little advice to help him learn: preferably choose clothes that are easy to put on and take off.
It will obviously be necessary that the things that your child needs on a daily basis are within reach so that he does not have to call on you every morning to get dressed.

So that he can put his shoes on alone and especially in the right direction, stick a sticker cut in half at the bottom of each shoe (at the heel). Your toddler will have to do this two piece puzzle again and he will never have the wrong feet again when putting on his sneakers.
While waiting for him to know how to tie his laces, bet on shoes that he can put on easily, such as scratch boots or sneakers.

And always to promote your child’s autonomy, prepare a small table with him to manage the morning ritual. A very clever and practical tool that will allow him to find his bearings in time, in the things to do, and to know what daily activities he still has to accomplish before leaving for school.

What advice to help him on the bedroom side

When it comes to playing on a screen – if your child is old enough to use it – whether on a tablet or on a computer, let him know how much play time he is entitled to – this will obviously depend on his age. Give it a timer and tell it to stop playing on its own when it rings. Here’s a great way to cut down on video game time and avoid fits when the time runs out. He will be far too proud to manage on his own.

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When it’s time to tidy up his room, prepare a to-do list for him to check off as he completes the tasks. This will prevent her from feeling overwhelmed with the work at hand and giving up before she even starts. Put the dirty laundry in the bathroom, store the lint in the lint bin, put the building bricks in the place provided for this purpose. He sees that he is moving forward in his list, that his room is much less messy and may add more lines to his list on his own. And to make it more fun, think about colorful and playful storage: boxes with wheels, for example, can be transported very easily throughout your room.

A more independent child is a happier child, proud of himself, his progress and his ability to learn to do things. So let’s help them as best as possible to take off little by little.