How to teach children to be independent? This question worries many young parents, but it is often too late to start school.
Most adults experience a lack of independence and the complete helplessness of their child with admission to school. Previously, they were touched that the child asks for help at every opportunity. All adult families joyfully rushed to feed, dress, or tie their shoelaces. If the baby hasn’t stacked the toys, it’s okay, he has a mother, she will collect it.
Why do parents understand their mistakes only at school and think about how to teach their children to be independent. At preschool age, adults believe that the child is still small, they try to please him in every possible way, thereby showing their love. Then they inform the child that he has a new step in his life - he must be independent, not realizing that the education of such an important quality for the baby should begin much earlier.
As a result, they are bitterly aware that the child is not able to complete the lessons without help, cannot collect the briefcase himself, constantly forgets that they asked what they need to take to school today. Poor grades begin, parents scold the child, but precious time has already been lost, because you had to accustom yourself to independence from the second year of your life, when the child first wanted to put on slippers himself or awkwardly took a spoon with food.
When to start training
Independence develops in early childhood, when the baby first wants to sit, eat or drink, collect a pyramid or put on slippers. How to teach children independence in different life situations from the very beginning of their life, we will consider further in the article.
The main thing in training is to be patient, not to force the child to force, to act gradually, but systematically. If you miss the time when the baby wants to do something on his own, then he will quickly realize that you can do nothing, his parents will do everything for him, you just have to make a little fun or cry, make it awkward or slow.
Be sure to reinforce new habits of behavior with praise. The child requires an assessment of his actions in order to understand whether he is acting correctly or not. This stimulates him for new achievements.
Learning to sit
One of the first independent actions of the baby is to sit down without the help of her mother. Learning begins only when the child’s muscles are strong enough, at about the age of 6 months, and weakened children master the skill at all at 8 months.
How to teach a child to sit on his own? First you need to practice, so as not to harm the fragile spine. Various exercises will help, for example, to put the child on its feet, put a large pillow behind it, and hold the baby by the hands. Interested in a toy that mom holds a little higher. The child will have to strain and reach for her. Each exercise should not last longer than 2 or 3 minutes. Be sure to encourage the child with praise, approving intonation.
Thanks to daily activities, the child will not only act independently, he will develop a vestibular apparatus, it will be possible to independently get to the objects around, which will contribute to the knowledge of the world and mental development.
Learning to use a spoon
Before you teach a child to eat independently, you need to know the features of his development. Mom begins to use a spoon already at the first feeding, but this does not mean that the baby is immediately given it and requires independence. A child at such an early age does not have developed coordination of movements, even if you gave him a try to hold a spoon, and he accidentally got it into his mouth, then it's too early to rejoice.
It is best to wait for a conscious action when the child already understands the significance of this cutlery. Pediatricians recommend starting to accustom self-reliance in food from about 1 year. Previously, you can offer the child to take pieces of fruit or cookies directly from the table by hand.
The first attempts are accompanied by the help of the mother, for example, she collects mashed potatoes in a spoon and puts it in the baby’s hands, and he sends it into the mouth. Mashed potatoes should be tasty and cause a desire to eat it.
Useful Tips
A good incentive to eat on your own will be a joint dinner with all family members. Do not teach your child to eat near the TV screen or while entertaining him with a toy. The beginning of the journey will be long, the baby can be distracted and spread food on the table or on himself. For many, the baby’s first attempts to eat on their own cause a feeling of impatience, and the attempts end with the fact that the mother takes the spoon and feeds herself further.
You can start feeding in two spoons, that is, one is in the hands of the child and occasionally he independently sends food to his mouth, and the other to his mother. In periods when the baby is distracted, feed him from another spoon.
Do not rush, do not act forcefully, do not scold the child if he does not want to eat himself. After all, the baby may have a bad mood or well-being.
Teach to the cup
After the baby has learned to eat himself, one can decide how to teach the child to drink on his own.
You need to get rid of the nipples as early as possible so as not to spoil the bite of the child. You can try to get drunk from a cup already from 4 months, just act carefully so that the baby does not choke.
Already by 1 year, let's get a drinker that has two handles. This is a special mug-spill with a narrow nose. Training is best started with a silicone soft-nosed drinker. It looks more like a nipple to a child than a hard plastic one. Already by the age of 6-7 months, sometimes give the baby a try from such dishes.
Only after the child has mastered the drinker, start learning to drink from a cup.
Recommendations of experienced mothers
Pick a cup bright, colorful, light. It is desirable that she has two handles, as on a drinker. So the baby will be more accustomed to hold it with two hands.
The child should like the new cup; pick it up with the image of your favorite little animal. Be sure to purchase only good quality plastic cups, because a child can drop it on the floor and smash it. Check that the dishes are eco-friendly.
How to teach a child to fall asleep independently in a year
This is perhaps the most pressing problem of many parents. A child from an early age very quickly gets used to falling asleep next to his mother, but over time it develops into a big problem. Firstly, my mother is full of affairs, and I want to do them while the baby sleeps on her own bed. Secondly, often there are problems in the personal relationship between father and mother, when the baby is constantly present in the adult bed.
What to do, how to teach children to be independent? An obstacle will be the lack of an additional motion sickness or soothing subject. This can be a nipple or motion sickness by mom, holding hands or stroking the head, lying next to adults. Do not miss the moment when, when falling asleep, the baby spits out the nipple or shows reluctance to be rocked, arching the back. These are the first signs that the baby is ready for self-falling asleep.
Shifts it to sleep in his crib as early as possible. With age, it is harder to do. You can hold the baby by the hand or pat on the head, but he should lie in bed and without preliminary motion sickness. It will take the patience of the mother, but judging by the reviews of many parents, the task is quite solvable.
Learn to dress yourself
The best age for learning is 2 years. Even earlier, the baby shows a desire to take off his hat or tights. The desire to do the work independently arises only when the child has developed motor skills. If you followed our advice and taught the baby to eat, drink, hold objects in his hand, then you will quickly understand how to teach your child how to dress on his own.
It is from 2 years old that the baby shows a desire to do something without the help of an adult. During this period, parents should give him the opportunity to prove himself, not to rush, not to scold for mistakes, but in every way to encourage independence. To get started, buy loose clothing without complicated fasteners, such as a T-shirt and sweatpants with an elastic band. At first, you can help the baby in word or deed. It stimulates the competitive moment well, especially if the family has older children.
First, let the child, getting up from the pot, put on his underpants and pants. It is easy to put on a hat without ties or comfortable slippers without fasteners. Then you can start putting on your pants. Choose good moments, for example, when the baby wants to go for a walk more quickly. If the child wants to put on his favorite thing, give him the opportunity to choose.
Conclusion
Following the tips on how to teach a 2-year-old child to independently carry out self-care processes, you will be able to further develop in the child the ability to make decisions by himself, to think, which will help him learn in school. Start raising such an important skill from an early age, then your child will grow initiative and independent.