Tip # 4

4. Let them solve simple problems. If you see your child trying to assemble a toy or get a book from a shelf that she can reach if she stands on her step stool, pause before racing over to help. "Provided that they are safe, those moments when you don't rush in, when you give children a moment to solve things for themselves, those are the character-building moments," says Zebooker. "It's natural to want to make everything perfect, but if we do, we cheat kids of the chance to experience success."

Think about all the thinking and actions that go into your child’s problem solving.  They decide what they need or want; find a way, or more than one way, to solve the problem and then enable themselves to attain the desired outcome.  This is the beginning of a lifelong mind set for problem solving! When they enter the school systems, they will need to solve many problems: socially, academically, physically, etc.

Allowing your child to begin to use independence until they ask for help will foster them to want to be more independent.  Isn’t it great to think that someday, when your youngster is ready for college or their first apartment, they will be ready to tackle these big leaps because you allowed the small leaps?