That headline is a lot of build up but I promise it delivers…

And it’s free AND fast AND effortless. 

All you have to do is… 

Sit on your hands. 

Next time your child is figuring out how to do something - getting dressed, putting on a shoe, opening a container, etc - simply sit on your hands or count to 10 slowly in your head. 

No need to jump in there and intervene at the first sign of struggle.

I get it, it’s almost always faster and easier to do things for our children BUT you’re depriving them of the satisfaction of doing something for themselves. 

Now, does that mean you can never help them again?

Definitely not!

Just wait until they ask for help or become overly frustrated.  

Now take it a step further

If you notice that there’s a step where your child often gets stuck, figure out how you can make that part easier. This will increase their chances of success and build their confidence even more. 

For instance, if you’re teaching your child how to put on their shoe and know they struggle to get their foot in, start by opening the shoe up wide and pulling back the tongue before handing them the shoe. 

You can demonstrate what you’re doing so they can eventually master this step as well.  

Do the Mental Prep…

This might sound easy but it can be a hard habit to break. 

Mentally prepare yourself now and get ready to restrain those hands :)

And don’t beat yourself up if you jump in there too quickly sometimes. It’s going to take some practice.