Every parent knows this struggle. When is the right time to give your kids more responsibility? The right answer is that there is no right answer. Usually, whenever you see that your older child is ready to take on new tasks and really apply himself to these tasks, you can start with helping them become more independent with these 5 tricks below. Check them out and see what are the 5 ways we picked out for you, that can help your child gain more independence.
Conflict Solver
It might sound impossible, but stop being a mediator for your children. They should try to resolve their own peer conflicts, with their own strategies and techniques. Even if they make mistakes, or wrong choices, you shouldn’t act like it is the end of the world. Next time, they might listen to your advice. When it comes to bullying, it is a sensitive topic, and you shouldn’t let your children go through it on their own. If this is the case, talk to his teacher or school pedagogist to find the solution together.
More Chores
Even though this isn’t a perfect idea of fun for children, giving them more chores will give them an opportunity to test their abilities and upgrade their skills faster. These are essential skills for adulthood that will come in handy in the future. They have to learn to stay focused on one task from the outset and throughout. Don’t be surprised if they get mad at you for giving them more responsibility, but at the end of the day, it’s all a part of becoming an adult. They need to feel like they are a part of the skill-building process which fosters their independence.
Insurance Policy
This is definitely a sign that they are growing up. You can talk to them and explain why insurance is important, and why they need to put some money aside for it. If you remove children from health insurance, this will help them accept that their actions can have consequences if they don’t fulfil their obligations on time. They can arrange their own insurance plan according to their personal preferences. Explore all the options before making a final decision.
Get a Pet
Pets might be cute, but they are also living creatures which need to be well taken care of. Every pet owner knows that feeding, walking and spending time with pets is an amazing experience, but it can be overwhelming at times. By having a sense of personal responsibility, children grow and form their personalities. Also, they should focus their attention on pets in order to increase their understanding of responsibility. Getting a pet is another great way to excel at life skills and become more empathetic towards others, which is also a useful skill in people jobs.
Give Advice
The combination of empowerment and kind words will help them set their own goals. Give them recommendations and your own examples, so they can learn from your mistakes. If you want to make them become more independent and self-confident, you should encourage them to pursue their dreams even at a young age. However, don’t be too pushy or they can feel intimidated and stop believing in themselves. You are their role model, so you should act accordingly and set the right example.
Switching up their routine is the key in order to help your children manage their responsibilities with more ease. Give them encouragement and praise them for accomplishing their tasks. The first step can be simply getting them to make their own lunch. What do you think, what is the best way to help your children become more independent? Tell us all about your experience in the comment section below!
Kristin C says
My children love helping out, it really gives them a sense of accomplishment.