Lesson Tag: independence

The way we praise children affects how they see themselves. The language we use can actually help or hinder their desire to learn and their level of effort, as well as their ability to stick with a challenging task. You might be surprised to learn that telling your child how smart they are can actually decrease effort. Research tells us that we can help even discouraged children cope with frustration and see failure as an opportunity to learn rather than giving up. Use specific, powerful feedback to encourage your child to take appropriate risks and feel more confident to try new things. 

As children enter adolescence, they have a natural desire for independence. Teenagers’ desire for freedom can be scary for parents/caregivers, however, it is what gradually turns your adolescent into a healthy adult.  

As children enter adolescence, they have a natural desire for independence. Teenagers’ desire for freedom can be scary for parents/caregivers, however, it is what gradually turns your adolescent into a healthy adult.  

Class participants will be able to: 

• Recognize key factors in adolescent brain development that influence behavior 
• Identify factors that make independence during adolescence “risky” 
• Recognize the consequences of restricting independence  
• Identify and apply steps in planning with teens for situations that strengthen the independence 

Many parents and caregivers are concerned about how to plan for opening up our activities, businesses and schools during this pandemic. This class will help parents of tweens and teens to plan, with their families, how to be safe while rejoining our communities in-person and making the back to school transition.  

After this class you will be able to: 

• Recognize the relative risks and benefits of social interaction for tweens and teens 
• Apply effective approaches to talking with tweens and teens about protecting themselves and their families 
• Develop a plan for navigating opening up and back to school transitions 

Early childhood can be an inspiring yet confusing stage for parents. Our children strive to do things on their own, yet often lack the skills to get the job done. They sometimes want to retreat to our laps, but at other times are ready to take on the world by themselves. As a preschool parent, you are probably dealing with plenty of daily challenges while enjoying your child’s interest in learning about the world. 

 You may wonder: how do we help children become more independent while still feeling supported and connected to us? And how can we sustain their exuberant curiosity that we know can become school success as they grow older?  

After this class, you will be able to:  

• Help your child grow to be more independent and cooperative while strengthening your parent-child connection 
• Use specific, effective feedback to help your child grow into an enthusiastic lifelong learner

Making plans with teens to try doing things on their own can help them succeed. Working together on independence can also put your mind a little more at ease.

We all want our kids to grow up to be capable, competent people who can find their own way in the world. But the steps to getting there can seem daunting.

How do we know when our kids are ready to do things on their own? How do we keep them safe and set them free at the same time?