How Nannies Can Foster Independence in Children
Children crave independence. If you’ve ever cared for a toddler, you’ve probably noticed them using phrases like “I do it” or the like when it comes to getting their cup off the counter, pushing an elevator button, or buckling their seatbelts. While this can be exhausting, it’s also an important way to build a foundation of independence and autonomy. AND this independence is proven to give them more confidence and problem-solving skills for their lives!
Here are five ways you can foster independence in the children in your care:
- Age-Appropriate Choices: Letting children choose everything can create anxiety, but giving kids choices on things such as snacks, outfits, toys they want to play with, or activities they want to do is empowering. Nannies can help guide the decision making by providing 2-3 options.
- Hygiene and Personal Care: Gradually, and with some guidance, children can start to take over their daily routines such as washing their hands, brushing their teeth, putting their shoes on, zipping their coats, etc.
- Exploration and Play: You can allow children to play autonomously, while still continually supervising, and engaging as appropriate. This doesn’t mean doing the dishes or laundry while they play – it might look like giving them materials for a craft, and helping as they ask (e.g., cutting something out for them), watching a child stack a tower of blocks without helping, or monitoring two siblings work through a disagreement. NOTE: This step needs to be implemented with safety always at the top of your mind.
- Responsibilities: Let them help! As with the others, this step starts simply and builds up. This can be things like putting toys (or one multi-piece toy) back into its place, sorting laundry, feeding the dog, or putting the silverware away when you empty the dishwasher.
- Mindfulness: Affirmations and positive self-talk are wonderful for building self-esteem. This requires you to pay attention and look for ways to encourage the child as they navigate new challenges, such as “You did great climbing at the playground! Do you feel strong?” You and the child(ren) could also repeat affirmations together, “I am strong.”
You might be doing a lot of these practices already, while not realizing that you were fostering independence and autonomy. Now that you know, we encourage you to be intentional in creating growth opportunities in your daily activities with the children. As an extra bonus, we also want to offer some additional tips to make these practices even more successful:
- Allow for plenty of time to complete the tasks and be patient.
- Build routines in order to create consistency and repetition
- Express confidence in their ability to complete the steps independently while reassuring them that you’re available for support if needed.
- Praise their efforts – give verbal, positive feedback as they learn how to navigate and overcome frustration. They are learning problem solving skills, persistence, and grit, so give them kudos for their efforts. This may look like, “I’m so proud of you for keeping at it, even when it was hard.”
We hope this is helpful, and we love that our nannies continue to want to grow in their professional careers to be the best of the best! Please don’t hesitate to reach out Melanie or Elena if you want any more advice or support for your particular position!
Sources:
https://childmind.org/article/how-to-build-independence-in-preschoolers/
https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/growing-independence-tips-parents-toddlers-and-twos
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-to-foster-independence-in-children-2019110518223