One of the best things you can do for your kids is to raise them to be self-reliant. They will face challenges when they are on their own and learning this skill set will help them prepare. True independence can be overwhelming, but, without the right guidance, your kids may struggle.
Each child is different, but there are some universal methods you can implement. This article will walk you through six ways you can raise your own children to become self-reliant:
1. Give Them a Responsibility
There are a few small responsibilities that you can give your child to help them understand how to be self-reliant. Once they have mastered those, you can step it up to larger responsibilities. Many parents attempt this by getting their child a pet to take care of. A kitten or a puppy is a fun and adorable way to teach some self-reliance.
Making sure your child understands responsibility at this scale requires serious commitment. You should not be the one feeding it and cleaning up after it for walks. You might have to push them at times, but that’s how parenting tends to be.
If pet ownership isn’t for your family, there are other responsibilities you can extend to your children. Consider a debit card, a weekly chore list, or an activity they choose like a sport or small business. Help them set goals and make plans to turn responsibilities into achievements.
2. Trust Them With Technology
Technology can be tough to balance when raising children. On the one hand, technology is a useful tool that families should leverage. On the other hand, kids can get easily attached to the easy accessibility, to the point that it controls their lives. The key is to strike a balance, even if it’s a lengthy battle.
At the end of the day, you need to trust your kids with technology. There’s no way to succeed in this world without it, and society is trending more digital than ever. Knowing how to use technology will help with studying, communication, and working for a paycheck.
Kids will want their own electronic devices, but you can always control what they have access to. One great tool is a kids smartwatch. It is a nifty piece of tech that will be a safe and reliable option for children. It has limited features, but provides enough value for your child and helps them navigate modern technology.
3. Teach Valuable Skills
Back in the days when home economics was a required high school course, this might have been easier. Today, few kids know how to do things like cook simple meals, sew, or balance a checkbook. These simple life skills go a long way toward developing a self-reliant kid.
Take it upon yourself to help your child learn some of these valuable skills. Have them help you in the kitchen, teach them about taxes, and show them how to do their own laundry. There may be some grumbling, but they’ll look back and be thankful you taught them these skills.
What about encouraging your kid to get a job? A mowing service, babysitting service, or any tye of job where they’ll learn basic skills like customer service. The key is to find some clients, set up competitive prices, and follow through with commitments. Once your child has followed through with these three things, they’ll have the basics for success down pat.
4. Give Them Choices
As a parent, you often want to hold your child’s hand and direct them away from danger. While hovering over them 24/7 might protect them from harm, it will also shelter them from many of life’s experiences. Making mistakes is how people learn, grow, and become capable, self-reliant adults.
Let your child decide some activities they want to pursue, how to spend an afternoon, and even what clothes they want to wear. They can pick out meals, with your guiding hand of course, and rearrange their bedroom to their specifications. While none of these decisions are groundbreaking, the principle of self-responsibility is being instilled in their minds. The key here is to offer them controlled options. Offer them opportunities to decide on things where you control the outcome.
Be present when it is time to make decisions. Kids can’t eat candy for dinner every night because they choose to. They need to understand that they’re not always in charge and that there is a lot still to learn from their wise and experienced parents.
5. Be Positive and Supportive
Kids need a lot of correction as they grow up. They’ll mess things up and get in trouble far more often than you’d like. There are even situations where it’s important to reprimand them. However, at the end of the day, parents need to be positive and supportive to raise self-reliant children.
It all boils down to self-esteem. If your kid has the confidence they can make it through life on their own, they’re more likely to succeed. You can give them that confidence by celebrating their successes, encouraging hard work, and supporting them when mistakes are made.
Your kids should know you will always be within reach if needed. Even though that might be a text or a phone call and nothing more. You know you have succeeded as a parent when they’re ready to take on life without you always within reach. You need to trust that you have a strong enough relationship for them to reach out to you when needed.
6. Encourage Interaction and Communication
Your child doesn’t need to be an extrovert or a smooth talker to have a successful life. However, being able to socialize and communicate will make things a lot easier for them. Being able to compose themself on a date or during a job interview will help them achieve their goals. Knowing they can do something, even if it makes them uncomfortable, it a motivating factor of self-reliance.
Participating in after-school activities is a great way to learn teamwork and socialize with kids their age. You can also have them order for themselves at restaurants or make appointments with your help. It might be uncomfortable for them at first, but you won’t be there to talk for them forever.
Parenting has never been easy but stepping back and seeing a self-reliant child grow into an adult is worth the effort. The earlier you begin the better, so start adding self-reliance to your parenting strategy today.
