Nurturing independent preschoolers

PW invited parents of Gurukul the School, Ghaziabad to share their insights on how they encourage their preschoolers to become independent in action and thinking

“We allow our son Shravil (prenursery) to complete simple tasks on his own like brushing his hair or eating meals by himself. To promote independent thinking, we ask him open-ended questions inquiring about his feelings, thoughts, or experiences to improve his conversation skills. We also let him use his imagination while drawing and colouring. If he colours a leaf with a purple crayon, we don’t judge him” — Sneh Khar, Operations manager, Bank of America

“I firmly believe the greatest gift for children is ‘roots of responsibility and wings of independence’. I allow my son Prashit (Nursery A) to explore and experience the world on his own as far as possible. I also involve him in making choices in day-to-day life and praise him for his decisions. Practicing daily routines with repeated and predictable tasks helps him complete them independently” Rashi Vashishtha, homemaker

“Allowing my son Samyak (kindergarten) to make his own decisions in day to day life was the first big lesson in independent thinking. I also entrust him with simple tasks to promote self-help skills such as changing clothes or tidying his toys. For each good decision taken or task completed, we celebrate his effort to boost his confidence. I also allow him to freely express his feelings and ideas and promote problem-solving through age-appropriate challenges” — Dr. Neha Bansal, practicing doctor

“Parenting is exciting as well as challenging. To make our daughter Amaya (kindergarten) self-reliant, we give her small tasks to perform independently and allow her to join us in routine tasks. Acceptance of her mistakes rather than continuous interruptions, letting her choose what to play, what to wear has boosted her self confidence. We add physical and mental activities to her daily routine and encourage her to help others” — Neena Singh, Senior officer, Unichem Laboratories Ltd.