Let’s face it. Being a parent is harder than it looks! You’d think after a few years you’d get the hang of it, but as your child learns and grows, you need to make more and more decisions that affect the well-being of your child. This can mean making hard choices, especially when it comes to letting your child learn on their own. As much as you want to soothe your child’s every bump and scrape, letting your child fall and get back up on their own is a parenting technique we all need to revisit.
How do I start?
As parents, we tend to be overprotective of our children. We try our hardest to create a safe environment in which our children can learn and grow. Although there’s nothing wrong with ensuring your child’s well-being, we can sometimes take this too far and smother our children with hovering. This is where letting your child “fall” comes into play. When using this as a parenting technique, you allow your child to make mistakes. This ranges from literally watching your child trip on a toy and letting them fall down and get back up, to letting your child make a mistake and face the consequences of that mistake. Instead of rushing to help your child, sit back and allow your child to get back up on their own.
What your child will learn
This parenting technique will teach your children a lot about themselves. Any time you rush to help your child before they can try to do something on their own, you’re teaching them that they are not capable of being independent. If you’re trying to mold your children into independent and responsible adults, constantly saving them from themselves will be detrimental. By allowing your child to try on their own first, even if they are unable to do it the first try, you are helping your child understand that with a little effort, they can accomplish anything. This will help your child’s self-worth and independent nature flourish over time.
What you will learn
Not only will your child learn about themselves, you’ll also learn more about your child’s capabilities. I’m sure we’re all guilty of occasional helicopter parenting, but when you take a step back and watch your child troubleshoot his or her own problems, you might be amazed at what you see. Most children will nonchalantly get back up again, resuming whatever it was they were doing. By understanding your child’s capabilities, you will also learn when it is appropriate to intervene.
Have you ever let your child fall down and get back up as a parenting technique? Share your story with us! We’d love to hear from you.
