Parenting Thoughts

Four reasons why children need to learn to DO things:

1. Children who know how to do many things well – all by themselves – begin to feel independent and learn to be good thinkers and problem solvers.

2. Children who know how to do things, can have chores assigned to them. Chores help children know what they are good at. Chores teach responsibility.

3. Children who know how to do things are less likely to be overindulged. Overindulgence is 1) doing for children what they can do for themselves or 2) not teaching children how to do the things they are capable of doing for themselves.

4. Once children begin doing things for themselves, they can learn from their mistakes. They can learn that it’s OK to do things as many times as they need to. We learn best from our mistakes. The frustration of mistakes encourages learning.

Inspired by THE THINGS I CAN DO by Jeff Mack

For more information about kids’ doing things for themselves:

Kids Need to DO Things, Part 1