HomeEc@Home
  • The Home Economist
  • About
  • Recipes
    • What's for Dinner?
    • Slow Cooker Simplicity
    • Simple Food
    • Desserts and Decadence
    • Baking Bread
  • Homesteading
  • Contact
    • Ask a Home Ec Teacher
  • Cake Designs
  • Simply Homemade
  • My Favorite Blogs
  • Work with me
  • Learning and Play
  • House Love
  • Shop
  • Blogging Tips
  • Family

How to Set Up Your Child’s Room to Foster Independence

5/11/2016

0 Comments

 
Enjoy this guest post from Bryn Huntpalmer.
​
​While it’s within a parent’s nature to protect their children and provide for all of their needs, there comes a time when kids need to learn to provide for themselves in small ways. In your home, that may mean they’re learning to dress themselves, or embracing the freedom to drag out art supplies without asking. When your kids begin to complete tasks without help, they feel a sense of pride and competence that leads to higher self-esteem. Here are a few organizing tricks from Modernize that will help them entertain themselves and learn problem solving skills. ​
​
Picture
 
Make Everything that’s Safe Accessible
 
Make sure to put anything that’s safe for them to use within reach so they have easy access to whatever stimulates or interests them. Use clear bins, shelves, and labels to keep organized. These will serve double-duty: if your kids know where everything is, they won’t have to run and ask you questions like “where are the markers” every five minutes, which means they can be the leader of their own activities.
 
If they aren’t masters of the written word quite yet, you can print pictures of items and use them as labels, or put certain categories of items in bins of a designated color. When everything has its proper place, it’s a lot easier for kids to participate in cleanup and eventually learn how to take care of it themselves.

Picture

Make Everyday Clothes Easy to Reach 

Letting your preschool-aged kid pick out clothes for the a school day may be your worst nightmare, but if they have a desire to, that means they’re ready to start being independent in that area. Foster that independence, while keeping it in check. You have total control of what clothes end up in their closet, so put sensible day-to-day pieces within easy reach, and bundle outfits together as much as possible. Keep the latest Disney princess ensemble in the dress-up bin so they know it’s not an option. Use open baskets to store socks and underwear. That way, if they are ready to start making decisions and dressing themselves, they won’t jam their fingers in the drawer.
 
Give Your Child the Tools to Stay in Their Own Bed
 
One of the biggest battles of trying to inch your little one toward independence is to get him or her out of your bed and sleeping all night on their own. A night light or hall light that stays can disrupt your child’s sleep patterns, but kids of all ages are afraid of the dark. Place a push-light or flashlight near their bed so that they have more control. When they feel afraid or need to use the restroom, they can easily turn on the light. Get a large stuffed animal that will bring them comfort at night, leave their favorite picture book on the nightstand, and set up a sound machine (but make sure it’s not too loud). Keep the room cool, as a mild drop in body temperature induces sleep. Make sure there are plenty of warm covers—they may start feeling too cozy to journey down a cool hallway to your room!
 
Hang a Chore/Responsibility Chart
 
Teaching your kids to be responsible is one of the most effective ways to foster independence. It can start with the smallest things, like making sure all the Legos are put away before leaving the room, or mastering a nightly routine. If you want your kids to build good habits, remind them what needs to be done while learning to be hands off. For example, if your kid is old enough to start going through the motions of getting ready without you, hang a chart or signs on the wall that reminds them what to do. 

Picture

Create an Activity Area 

Children’s worlds are governed by rules and regulations that they don’t understand. Even when they’re running free on a sunny day, they must stay within a certain area so they’re not in danger. When they play, they have to learn to share and clean up. These are all incredibly important lessons, but if a child feels too limited, he or she won’t be able to establish that resourceful independence. Make sure there’s an area of the room, or at least in the house, where they can do whatever activity that they want: read, paint, draw, play pretend, dress up, etc. Cover the floor with foam tiles or paint the wall with chalkboard paint and let them draw to their hearts’ content. Because while it’s undoubtedly imperative for kids to learn independence, the most important thing for them to do is to have fun.
 

Picture
Bryn Huntpalmer is a mother of two young children living in Austin, Texas where she currently works as an editor and writer forModernize.com with the goal of empowering homeowners with the expert guidance and educational tools they need to take on big home projects with confidence.
Gymboree Sale On Now!
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Enter your e-mail address:

    Powered by FeedPress

    Picture

    Welcome to Home Ec @ Home

    ​Hi, I'm Faith, a former Family and Consumer Science teacher turned food blogger.  I love God, my family, and food.  You can usually find me in the kitchen preparing family friendly, homemade recipes and taking lots of pictures. 


    Golden Doodle Puppies
    Mini Golden Doodle Puppies born January 13th, 2023, Still Goldens, Southern, IL (Available mid-March 2023)

     
    Quick Recipe Links
    ​Dinner Recipes
    ​
    Slow Cooker Recipes
    ​
    Easy Recipes
    ​
    Desserts

    Bread

    Tasty Food Photography

    This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies.

    Opt Out of Cookies


    Fan Favorites
    Picture
    Balsamic Roasted Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and BaconBalsamic Roasted Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

    Dehydrating Pears and Apples in the Instant Pot Duo CrispDehydrating Pears and Apples in the Instant Pot Duo Crisp

    RSS Feed

    HomeEc@Home - The Home Economist
    Get Sponsored by Big Brands
    Tweet
    Sweepstakes
    myTaste.com

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • The Home Economist
  • About
  • Recipes
    • What's for Dinner?
    • Slow Cooker Simplicity
    • Simple Food
    • Desserts and Decadence
    • Baking Bread
  • Homesteading
  • Contact
    • Ask a Home Ec Teacher
  • Cake Designs
  • Simply Homemade
  • My Favorite Blogs
  • Work with me
  • Learning and Play
  • House Love
  • Shop
  • Blogging Tips
  • Family