"I want to do it myself!" is a phrase I hear a lot. Last week I had an epiphany. I thought, maybe my daughter keeps saying this because I'm not letting her do enough by herself. So, when she asked, I let her do several things all by "myself". I was pretty amazed by the outcome.
She cut up her own banana.
She vacuumed the living room (and even got most of the corners!).
She buttered her own toast.
And she even came up with this idea, to sit on the bottom rung of the stool and use the seat as a table. Her brother thought she was genius and quickly followed suit.
Maybe I should be embarrassed that I never let my kids do these things before, but I definitely have learned something. I've made it a goal to listen when she asks, and try not to be so impatient.
I'm impressed with the ease at which you made that adjustment! Sometimes it's hard for me to figure out what my son IS capable of doing and what he's not ready for yet. Reading through your blog, you seem like a very child-centered and "child-led" parent, which is what I'm hoping to be as well.
ReplyDeleteWith hugs from jozikaroo.com -- and look next Wednesday for a version of your paper plate letter hunt, we loved your idea! Shannon