Letting your children make their own
decisions and judgements can boost confidence and increase awareness and perception of their environment. Here are
some top tips on how to encourage your
child to be independent:

• Allow your children to make discoveries for themselves
• Encourage them to find ways to do things and keep themselves occupied
• Give your children confidence to make informed choices and decisions
• Allow your children the freedom to make mistakes and find solutions
• Use encouraging talk when your children have done something on their own, eg "You did that really well; I'm really pleased with you; that was very helpful; that's one less job for me to do."

• Let your children pay for their own sweets and toys in a shop
• Let your children take some risks in a controlled way to build confidence e.g. let them go to the corner shop while you follow some distance behind
• Encourage your children to order their own food in a café or restaurant
• Allow lots of time for free play with other children - not just adult-supervised activities
• Encourage good communication regarding boundaries and activities your children can do with their friends
• If your child's afraid of trying new things, work at developing a 'can-do' attitude, slowly working up to the outcome you both want
• With more adventurous children, explain that some risks are just too dangerous and negotiate safe, agreed boundaries
• If possible, get together with other adults in your neighbourhood to take active steps to look out for the safety of each other’s children
• Encourage your children to do small tasks for themselves around the home, e.g., dressing themselves (choosing their own clothes), making a sandwich, unloading the washing machine, hanging out laundry. It doesn't matter if they don't do it perfectly - they have done it their way and achieved something