Index
Raising children is always one of the most difficult tasks in a human’s life. And because it is dealing with such a complex issue, it is clear that different opinions, studies and analyzes appear all the time indicating to parents which is the best way to go. Thinking about it, one of the most discussed points on this subject is exactly about autonomy for children.
It is true that all parents need to give their children a certain freedom so that this process of autonomy for children works correctly. The big question is how positive or negative this is, both for the child’s upbringing and for the parent-child relationship.
In general, there is no need to worry about the lack of connection between your child and you. As much as he has freedom, if you also give him freedom to express his feelings and talk to you, the question of the relationship is not compromised in any way. We now have to analyze the issue of creation.
When to Start Empowering Children?
First of all, we need to say that autonomy for children is not something that comes out of nowhere and needs to be encouraged by parents . The main reason for this is the relationship that this type of incentive has with the cognitive development of the little ones, who, when encouraged to do things themselves, have a greater development in their memory, thinking and even problem solving abilities.
Of course, this process needs to be gradual, that is, there is no way you can simply stop doing things for your child and find that this is an incentive. But when, as a baby, a child is encouraged to solve problems with his toys or even when he needs to get something, he ends up developing these characteristics mentioned above better.
As this is a gradual process, the supervision of the parents in each of these activities of the child is extremely important so that this relationship of independence is not extrapolated or damaged.
Phases of Autonomy for Children
As we talk about the gradual process of autonomy for children, here are the phases in which they develop these aspects and what are their capacities in each of these phases. Are they:
- Up to 3 years
- Up to 5 years
- Up to 7 Years
- Up to 10 years
Up to 3 years
A child up to 3 years old needs to be able to perform simple tasks alone, such as storing his toys and eating with a fork without the help of his parents. It is important that at this time, parents encourage the child to perform games that encourage such actions.
Up to 5 years
A child up to 5 years old can usually perform several types of tasks that involve hygiene, such as brushing teeth and cleaning yourself after going to the bathroom. Of course, parental supervision in this part is always important, even to avoid possible diseases, but it is also something that will be improved over time.
Up to 7 Years
In addition to performing all the tasks already mentioned perfectly, a 7-year-old child also needs to be able to change clothes without problems and to practice group sports, in addition to acquiring the ability to read and write at that age.
Up to 10 years
This is the moment when parental supervision in various tasks can begin to diminish , looking only at whether the child can perform the tasks alone. It is also at this age that the child begins to cross the street alone and move around with a certain freedom.
Of course, this is an issue that can vary from environment to environment, but even in large cities, it is important to teach a child the correct ways to behave in traffic as a pedestrian.
Parental Responsibility in Autonomy for Children
When we talk about autonomy for children, parents have two major responsibilities:
- To encourage
- Supervise
First, the incentive is very important because it makes the child understand what needs to be done to acquire autonomy. On the other hand, all of these children’s activities need to be supervised by the parents, to a greater or lesser extent depending on the child’s activity or age. The parents are directly responsible for how the child will face freedom during his lifetime, so it is so important to perform well these two tasks.
How Autonomy Affects Children’s Future
A child who learns to have autonomy at an early age acquires a sense of responsibility , which will be very important in his development. In your relationships at school, for example, you can already see if the child has autonomy or not, both because of his behavior in the classroom, and with the way he deals with his homework.
Having this independence also frees the child from having problems in the future , when he will be forced to deal with problems and the parents will not be around. This is one of the biggest advantages of encouraging autonomy for children from an early age.
Raising a child can generate several concerns, but it is certainly one of the most wonderful and rewarding experiences that we can have in our lives, so all the worry and stress we have is worth it in the end.
Stimulating autonomy for children is part of this process and although it often seems difficult to make the child understand that certain tasks need to be done by him, but when that happens, you realize that you have taken a step further in his upbringing.
See Also: Should Boys Help At Home?
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
