Encouraging Independence

LIANE SHAW of Shaws Preschool passes on some useful tips about equipping preschoolers for school, helping them to be more independent, and promoting good eating habits.

How can parents help preschoolers become more independent and do things for themselves?

• Provide opportunities, within safe and reasonable limits. Simply put, the more they get to try doing things for themselves, the better they become at it.

• Celebrate successes, but also allow for mistakes. Children need to hear that it is OK not to get it right the first time (or the 27th!). Constant encouragement teaches them the importance of “dusting their hands off” and trying again.

• Offer choices. The classroom is prepared in a way that allows children to choose what they want to work on or play with. At home, let them choose which books to read, what toys to play with, or what to wear, for example. This will go a long way towards helping them make decisions and sticking with them, whatever the consequences may be.

• Provide structure but allow for occasional creative deviations. Preschoolers need consistency – when they know what to expect, they feel safe. But giving children room for flexibility will encourage them to think out of the box and make independent decisions. For example, you could have a bedtime routine but once in a while pose the question, “What if we didn’t read before bed? What else could we do?”

• Above all, giving them time and allowing for mistakes will support them in developing the confidence to do things for themselves.

How can picky eaters be encouraged to be more adventurous in trying different foods?