3 Life Skills To Teach Independence In Kids

Our children are lucky to have us. They are spoilt with love and affection from the moment they’re born. And more or less, everything is done for them, from washing their clothes to bathing, cooking meals, etc.

While some things are essential to do for children, there comes a stage where we sometimes fall guilty of underestimating our kids’ capabilities. In turn, we continue to do everything for them, even though it might not be necessary.

Although it’s kind and selfless for you to continue doing everything, it won’t help your kiddos develop into independent human beings. And so, to boost their independence, it’s essential to expose them to some of the things they will, in the future, need to begin taking care of on their own.

Cook Together

Is there any child that doesn’t ask to join in and help their mama make breakfast? We think not. Kids love the prospect of getting messy with food, but they also want to help in the kitchen too! So why not let them?

Picture by Daria Obymaha from Pexels – CC0 Licence

Of course, mistakes such as spills will be expected. But over time, they’ll gain some cooking skills, which are essential life skills that will enable independence in the future.

Start small by allowing them to pour cereal into a bowl. And then eventually progress to helping them be a part of making tomato basil soup recipe, which they love to eat. Teaching kids about healthy food and how to cook is fun, will build their confidence, and teach them essential life skills.

Self Care

While it may be tempting to continue brushing your children’s teeth for them and wash their hands and faces after playing in the garden, there comes a stage where it helps to let them have a turn.

Yes, puddles on the floor will happen, as they practice using the tap and take control of the slippy soap in their little hands. But give them a bit of time and encouragement, and they’ll get the hang of a few tasks that ensure they can take care of themselves, such as brushing their teeth, washing their hands, and cleaning themselves properly after the toilet.

Managing Emotions

Emotions in children can be explosive. From sobbing fits to throwing toys in anger, kids often don’t know what or why they’re feeling a certain way, let alone how to get it under wraps.

An essential life skill to begin developing from a young age in children is managing emotions. It helps as parents to identify a child’s feelings they’re experiencing to them.

Suppose they’re upset about a toy being taken from them off another child. Tell them they are sad and angry, and it’s normal to feel that way. But! That they shouldn’t hold on to those emotions for too long and need to find a way to cope.

Cuddles and reassuring words from parents always help, but you’re not going to be there every time they experience an intense emotion. Therefore, it’s essential to encourage self-soothing. Such as recommending your little one try and relax with a book. Teaching children to self-soothe will help them develop into independent and healthy young adults.

Learning doesn’t need to stop with the skills above, either. For instance, you can teach them about other life skills like money management skills or tidying up after themselves. Kids are a sponge waiting to be soaked up with new information. Most are confident in trying new things, such as cooking or riding a bike, so the best thing we can do as parents is to guide them to do it until they can do everything without us.