Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast
#18: Teaching Your Child Autonomy at a Young Age
with Rae Pica
One of our goals as parents is to raise confident, independent human beings who can take care of themselves so they can one day leave home and start a life of their own. The problem is, today’s culture of gentle hands-on parenting is often construed as not letting your child make any mistakes, and doing everything for them. So how can you teach your child autonomy starting at a young age in a kind and supportive manner? What are some things you can let your toddler do on their own to help build confidence?
In this episode, I talk to early childhood consultant Rae Pica about ways to develop and educate your child as a whole by letting them take action on their own and make their own decisions and mistakes.
Author of 22 books, including What If Everybody Understood Child Development? and What If We Taught the Way Children Learn? Rae has shared her expertise with such groups as the Sesame Street Research Department, the Head Start Bureau, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Chicago Children’s Museum, Mattel, and Hasbro.
Here’s a glance at this episode…
- [02:56] Autonomy for young children
- [04:04] What a 2-year-old should be able to do on their own
- [05:44] The consequences of doing everything for your child
- [08:41] Children are born with resiliency and grit
- [09:54] What can young children learn to do on their own
- [13:00] The myth about playing with your kids
- [15:09] Comparing your child to other children
- [16:02] Logical consequences and allowing your child to make mistakes
- [23:44] Myths about raising young children
Click here to check out Rae’s free resource library on play, literacy, fine motor skills, and more!
Take a moment now to follow the podcast on Apple, Google, or Spotify. It’s the best way to be notified when a new episode drops each week. These bite-sized episodes are perfect for listening during daycare drop-off, an evening walk, or a quick workout.
One last thing. I spend time each morning in meditation and would love to pray for you, your child or whatever’s on your heart. Simply email me and let me know how to pray. It can be as simple just your name or you can give a short explanation. Either way you can trust that I will do it. It’s a simple, quiet way for us to connect and for me to support you on your parenting journey. 🧡
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