Toddler Time and Independence

Children in the Young Children's Community thrive in an appropriately sized environment that is their classroom. Here they have a very structured routine set up to allow them the time to make choices and practice skills that they feel drawn toward. Dressing is a big theme in this classroom and often a challenge for busy parents. 

The best way to support children in their personal development is to give them the time to do things on their own. The biggest example of this is anytime they're getting dressed or undressed. I'm sure everyone has had the battle of it's time to put your shoes on. We have that conflict here daily, but it doesn't have to be a battle. We have the full luxury of time, so we set up a routine (young children thrive on routine) that allows anywhere from 15-30 minutes for someone to put on their shoes. A big part of this is finding the balance between how we can help them with the minimal amount of interference that's possible. 

Young Children's Community Guide, Carissa Fain, has tips for how to balance helping with minimal interference giving your child that boost toward independence.