Nurturing Independence In Children: A Family’s Approach
- By Kalash Pathak
- Oct, 2023
DISCRIPTION
In today’s fast-paced world, modern parenting faces unique challenges, especially in households with working parents and a nuclear family setup. A child’s character development becomes crucial in such an environment. At the heart of this endeavor lies the goal of grooming children to be self-reliant individuals.
The journey of guiding our child, Kalash, towards self-reliance has been both rewarding and enlightening. In this article, we share our approach, focusing on three fundamental principles that have helped us shape Kalash’s ability to make independent decisions.
- Building a Friendly Environment: We realized that children learn more from what they experience than from what we teach. Therefore, we initiated the process by creating a friendly atmosphere at home. Within our family, honesty and accountability are paramount. By being honest with each other and taking responsibility for our actions, we set an example for Kalash. This environment encourages her to be accountable for her choices.
- Open and Non-Judgmental Communication: The second principle centers on open and non-judgmental communication. We encourage all family members, including Kalash, to express their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. This fosters trust and confidence within the family unit. It also means that Kalash can approach us with concerns, even if they involve revealing a mistake or an untruth on our part. Our response is crucial – a calm, understanding approach, coupled with an apology if necessary, reinforces that her opinion is valued and heard.
- Helping Children Decide Right from Wrong: Perhaps the most critical aspect of nurturing independence is helping children discern right from wrong. We introduced Kalash to a simple litmus test – how would she feel about sharing her actions with us when she returns home? Would it evoke feelings of happiness, pride, fear, or regret? Anything that she wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing falls into the category of actions to avoid. We emphasize that even if she makes a mistake or a poor decision, we are her first line of support. After all, a family operates as a team, watching out for each other.
In conclusion, our family motto is simple – “Preach in public, but practice in private.” We believe in leading by example and fostering an environment that allows our child to grow into a self-reliant and responsible individual.
Rasika Budhay & Nakul Pathak,
Proud Parents of Kalash Pathak
Class II B, The Jain International School, Nagpur.
