How to Teach Children to Be Their Own Person

Knowing how to teach a child to be their own person or think of themselves can be quite challenging. As parents, one would always want to ensure that they can raise their children, not just to follow the crowd.

Ensuring that one's child can make their own decisions can be fulfilling.

According to an expert in child development and parenting, Claire Lerner, every parent wants to ensure that their children know how to solve problems independently.

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However, experts believe that knowing how to teach a child to be their own person starts at an early age. Lerner even shared in an article from Parents.com that these ways should begin when your kids are still babies.

Here are some of the ways on how to teach a child to be their own person:

As early as possible, take a step back

For experts like Lerner and Stephany Orby Coard, Ph.D., parents should teach independence as early as possible. For example, if your kid finds it difficult to fit a piece of the puzzle when they are only six months old, parents might want to help their children. However, this should not be the case.

According to Dr. Coard, "Teaching children to be independent begins in early childhood, and will look different and be guided differently based on a child's age."

Experts say that even at an early age, children should be given a chance to think about the problem and work on it. 

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Identify opportunities to learn

When your kids start to learn how to do simple tasks, this could also mean it is the perfect opportunity to increase their independence.

For you to do this, you can directly ask your child which tasks they feel they can do on their own and support them.

This step could be a simple way on how to teach a child to be their own person. However, it can always go a long way.

Teach your kids by leading an example

Some kids learn through the transparency of their parents' decisions. According to Dr. Coard, "Model responsible decisions, and be transparent with your own reasoning and thought process in making decisions."

When they see and understand making decisions, they also learn how to make an independent decision.

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Even when things get tough, keep your distance

When your children start to grow up and experience more challenging problems, parents tend to feel the urge to help.

Experts say that instead of offering help, this should be the time to allow children to come up with a solution to whatever problem there is. Give them time to think and process the situation.

Another way is by challenging them simple and then, later on, more complicated tasks.

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