How to Prepare Choices for Children
Allow your child to choose their own clothing. If they want to wear their clothes backwards, allow it.
Demonstrating individuality through clothing is your child’s first exploration of choice. Allowing them to choose their own clothing enables them to express themselves in a very simple format.
Giving children the opportunity to be themselves, to express themselves and feel unique, is important as children mature. The sooner we can allow our children to feel these sensations, the better, but we can still impose some limitations.
Prepared choices by parents allow children to feel the sensation of being independent without making what ultimately might be a bad decision. For example, on a winter’s day, three sets of warm clothing may be laid out to choose from, giving the child a sense of choice that has ultimately been predetermined by the adult.
As an observer you can watch how your child makes choices, what rationale they use and use these valuable observations to meet the needs of your child in furore.
Be the puppeteer who silently prepares an environment of choice, fairness and individuality and children will always learn from their mistakes. All the while you are there to catch them if they fall.
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