I am a big believer in teaching kids to be independent, but I haven’t always been that way. I am, in fact, a recovering control freak.
When my kids were young, I didn’t want to give them too much responsibility because I could do all the jobs better than they could. Not only that, but they were messy creatures. While they were learning to do things for themselves, disorder and chaos was the name of the game. But their messes turned me into a crazy woman, which was not a positive experience for anybody involved.
I have since learned that control is the parental control is the enemy of budding childhood independence. Not only that, but control is an illusion. It is not real.
I have a great desire to help you raise well-prepared kids, which means I need to address the issue of control. So today, I am sharing five simple strategies that help me manage my innate tendency to micromanage.
They include:
- Remember the big picture (Where do you want to go?)
- Parenting is not about you! (Sorry!!)
- Lower your standards of perfection if needed. (Inexperienced children won’t be able to live up to them.)
- Leave the room and take a break (If watching them try a new skill is giving you anxiety).
- “Teach them correct principles, and let them govern themselves.” Joseph Smith
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YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:
- Episode 018: How (and why) to Stop Being a Helicopter Parent
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