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Encourage a Healthy Sense of Independence at Any Age

By Jennifer Wolf, About.com

4 of 7

Fostering Independence in Preschoolers

Infants | Toddlers | Preschoolers | School-age Children | Pre-teens | Teenagers

This is a great time to capitalize on your child's budding independence. To do this, you can:
  • Allow your child to pick out her own outfits and dress herself.

  • Follow your child's lead as to when you should begin potty-training. Learning to do it all on his own is a big step!

  • Be patient when your child changes into outfit-after-outfit. This is an expression of her independence.

  • Use the same clean-up routines that your child's preschool uses so that your child learns to be responsible for his toys. For example, there might be a special song that they sing during clean up.

  • Provide lots of learning opportunities throughout the day.

  • Teach your child how to introduce himself to new friends.
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