?In order to grow up into capable adults, kids need stress in their lives,? says Michael Ungar, a Dalhousie University professor of social work and the author of several books, including Too Safe for Their Own Good. ?Too little stress or too much stress, and our ability to cope goes down, but there?s a sweet spot. If you are able to deal with a little bit of conflict when you?re growing up, you?re more likely to be able to deal with conflict as an adult.?
The fact is, most kids are more competent than we give them credit for. My 11-year-old loves being able to go to a local café and buy herself dinner between dance lessons, and my five-year-old is positively thrilled when I ask him to take on some responsibility for his two-year-old brother. Kids love knowing we trust them, and the more useful they learn to be, the easier it is for everyone in the long term. The good news is we can start to foster that self-sufficiency and responsibility at a very young age.
.related-article-block{display:inline-block;width:300px;padding:0.5rem;margin-left:0.5rem;float:right;border:1px solid #ccc}@media (max-width: 525px){.related-article-block{float:none;display:block;width:280px;margin:0 auto 2rem}}

How to help your toddler gain more independence Toddler

Resist the urge to baby your toddler. ?Developmentally, independence can start early in terms of giving them choice, building self-regulation skills and exposing them to manageable amounts of risk,? says Ungar.

Instead of scooping k...