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Avoiding Parent Traps

Jaclyn Baker
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It’s never too early to teach kids how to problem solve.

As a parent, of course, you want to be there for your child and help them navigate situations.

But the truth is, you may not always be there to intervene when your child is faced with a problem, such as having a disagreement with a friend at school. 

The sooner they learn how to figure things out on their own – the more independent they will become. 

The Parent Trap

What is a Parent Trap?

 It’s a situation in which parents are drawn to solve their kids’ problems.

Even though it’s a natural instinct to assist your kids in every way, there must be some healthy limits in place.

By helping them too much, your child only ends up losing their chance to learn on their own. 

The Solution 

So, what are you supposed to do?

Instead of rushing to solve their problem, you can give them guidance and confidence-boosting re-reinforcements.

So, the next time something does go wrong, they will already have the skills needed to come up with a solution.

Remember – children and adults sometimes have to fall a few times in order to learn how to get back up. 

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Raising Confident Children

Jaclyn Baker
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You can guide your child to believe in themselves and gain confidence by…

Building Self-Esteem Brick by Brick 

None of us are perfect and we all make mistakes. 

Reminding your child that we all fall down can help them embrace and accept their mistakes. 

Paying Attention to Your Words

Be mindful of the phrases you use when you’re around your child – especially the words you say about yourself. 

Here’s an example. 

Let’s say you and your child are in the car, and you accidentally miss your turn.

We’ve done that more times than we can count and understand how frustrating that can be, especially when time is of the essence.

When things like that happen, it’s so easy to say things like…

 “I can’t believe I did that. I take this route every day.” 

Or,

“That was so silly. I should have been paying more attention.”

Events like that happen all the time, and in the future, when your child starts driving, chances are they will miss their turn often as well.

Truth be told, there is a very good chance your child didn’t even notice you missed the turn. The best thing you can do is stay calm and laugh it off. 

Missing your turn isn’t always so bad. You and your little one can spend the extra time playing car games or listening to their favorite radio station. 

Letting Them Figure Things Out on Their Own 

The next time your child is trying to figure something out, don’t rush the process and let them take the wheel. 

As a parent, it’s normal to want to jump in and save the day. But children need to learn how to do things on their own – even if it takes them a while.

Remember how excited you were when you read your first book by yourself or successfully tied your shoes for the first time?

Those milestones are very exciting for children and play a key role in building their confidence.

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