Sleep
Bedtime Routines for Children After One Year
The infant bedtime routine — bath, feed, dim light, cot — runs on autopilot. The toddler routine does not. Past the first birthday your child has lang...
4 min read
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Showing articles tagged with: #independence
13 articles found
Play
The Value of Boredom in Child Development
"I'm bored" is not a request for an activity. It's a transition state, and what happens in the next ten minutes depends almost entirely on whether som...
5 min read
Parenting
When Helping Too Much Gets in the Way of Learning
It's instinctive to rush in and help your child when they struggle with a task. But there's an important line between supportive parenting and overhel...
4 min read
Parenting
How to Encourage Independence in Young Children
Independence doesn't mean abandoning your child; it means stepping back gradually and letting them try. When children have opportunities to do things...
4 min read
Emotions
The Struggle for Autonomy at Age Two
A two-year-old who melts down because you zipped his coat is not being unreasonable. He's working on the most important developmental project of his l...
5 min read
Daycare
How to Support Daycare Skills at Home
A common parent observation: "She puts on her own shoes at daycare, but at home she sits there waiting for me to do it." This isn't laziness or manipu...
9 min read
Daycare
Which Self-Care Skills Develop in Daycare?
Most parents notice it in the first month: their child is suddenly putting on their own shoes, eating with a spoon without a fight, or asking to use t...
6 min read
Daycare
Why Children May Be More Independent at Daycare Than at Home
Pickup conversations are full of this story. The keyworker says, "She put on her own coat, ate her whole lunch with a spoon, and helped tidy up." Five...
5 min read
Daycare
Child Independence as the Foundation of the Montessori Approach
A phrase often associated with Montessori education is "help me to do it myself" — attributed to a child speaking to Maria Montessori, and capturing t...
3 min read
Daycare
Core Montessori Principles in a Daycare Setting
The word "Montessori" describes a specific educational philosophy developed by Dr. Maria Montessori in the early 20th century. Understanding its core...
2 min read
Health
Type 1 Diabetes in Teenagers: Managing Transition and Independence
Most parents of children with type 1 diabetes brace for adolescence, and most still find it harder than they were ready for. The technical management...
9 min read
Development
Learning to Dress Themselves: When Toddlers Develop Self-Dressing Skills
A 3-year-old wrestling a jumper onto themselves — head poking out of an arm hole, eventually emerging triumphant with the label at the front and the b...
6 min read
Parenting
Pocket Money and Chores: Teaching Young Children About Responsibility
The question of whether pocket money should be tied to chores divides parents firmly. One camp argues that linking money to work teaches children that...
4 min read