From the moment our kids are born, they need us. But they also are gradually growing in self-reliance. Babies learn to hold their heads up, crawl, and then walk. Toddlers feed themselves and learn to button their clothing. Young kids start to manage their homework and speak for themselves. And hopefully, our teens start to make responsible adult decisions on their own. But what if you want a more self-reliant child? In this episode, Abby shares a story from one of our writers about the day she realized she was helping her teenage son too much. Susan, Chloe, Megan, and Abby talk about how some moms stand in the way of their kids becoming more self-reliant.
Most moms can relate to giving one child more help than another. Many firstborns learn to figure things out while Mom caters to the needs of the baby in the family. Do you have one self-reliant child and one who leans on you more than you’d like? Sometimes just realizing you tend to cater to the needs of one child more than another can help you find balance and help build a more self-reliant child.
There are things moms can do to grow this important trait. For one, iMOM’s Good Character Trait Calendar is a free tool that will build traits that result in self-reliance—traits like diligence, persistence, and wisdom. But there are also words and phrases that can be incorporated into daily conversations that move Mom from “the one who gives answers and does the work” to someone who leads her child to figure out the solution for himself.
Articles We Mentioned
6 Things to Say to Build Self-Reliance in Kids
4 Ways to Encourage Independence in Your Teen
10 Life Skills Your Teen Needs Before Leaving Home
How to Raise Kids With Self-Reliance
Printables We Think You’ll Like
What everyday practices do you use to help build self-reliance in your kids?
