How to Teach Your Child the Importance of Independence


Everyone desires independence in their life. From young to old, we learn independence during our lives. Often a person will learn independence the hard way. Everytime your child is looking for independence, as parents we should be using steps to provide quality learning to assure acceptable independence for children. For example, Sara is 10 years old and she feels that she should be able to stay home alone after school without guidence from an adult. Here are some steps that you can take in order to help her.

Procedure:

Step 1: Rules and Guidelines to Follow There should always be rules and guidelines set for everyone. You also have to make sure that everyone knows them and that they are being followed. Sara needs her parents to set rules and guidelines to follow in order to stay home alone after school. These rules should depict when she needs to do her homework and when she needs to do her other stuff. Her time for watching TV and her time for conversing with her friend should be defined properly.

Children Independence

Step 2: The Trial Period A trial period needs to be set to make sure that guidelines and rules are being followed. This will also give the parents time to find other information that they may need to provide to their children. Sara will be given a 3 day trial period to stay at home.

Step 3: The Spy Your child needs t? be watched over by a responsible person to make sure that she obyes the rules. A parent, a neighbor, relatives or a trusted person can take the role of watchful eye. Sara is now staying alone and her parents have to seek a neighbor to have a eye on her while they are gone. The neighbor knows the rules and guidelines that apply to Sara. The neighbor can oversee what Sarah is doing and this can help Sarah understand that she is bound by some guidelines.

Step 4: The Broken Rules or Guidelines When a child breaks rules or guidelines don’t punish them too harshly. Remember we are trying to teach them independence and thus it will take time to learn responsibility. Sara was not doing homework when she got home after school. Her parents now have Sara going to the neighbors right after school to do herhomework. After her homework is done, Sara can go back home. Once Sara understand the importance of doing homework, she will go straight  home after school and she will do her homework there.

Step 5: Awarding Independence Make sure that you award their responsibility and independence. The self esteem of your child will increase when you award him or her. It doesn’t need to be anything expensive as you can buy a simple chocolate as a symbolic reward.

Filed Under: Lifestyle & Personality

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About the Author: Alan Kennon lives a very happy life with two kids and a lovely wife. He likes to share his life time experiences with others about how they can improve their lifestyle and personality.

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