Young children are innately curious about their own bodies and the people around them—and how we answer their questions matters. According to research, children start developing ideas about their bodies as early as age 3, making our early conversations especially important. As parents and educators, we have a responsibility to create a space where body talk is honest, kind, and rooted in appreciation.
What’s clear to me now is that every environment shapes us—and the environments we create for our children can either amplify or fail to nurture their natural tendencies.
Discover actionable strategies to help foster curiosity, adaptability, and resilience in your child.
Discover actionable strategies to help foster curiosity, adaptability, and resilience in your child.
Discover effective strategies to prevent the summer slide and keep your child’s academic skills sharp while enjoying the summer break.
Discover how early behavioral support can be a game-changer for young children.
Unstructured play in a curated, prepared environment gives children the opportunity to “develop what psychologists call an internal locus of control,” Gray explains, “which is an internal sense that I’m competent to take charge of my life. Something can happen to me, and it’s not a disaster. I can take care of it.”
We as parents can help pave the path our children will walk down, but we can’t control the way they maneuver that path. They may barrel down the road or cautiously avoid some of the stones we hoped they would fully embrace. They may decide to not even take our path at all, choosing instead to tromp out into the unknown with no clear destination. Either way, the path ahead offers them endless opportunities to display and reveal their colorful personalities to the world.
Ultimately, fostering independence is about more than just practical skills—it’s about cultivating a mindset. By setting up our homes to support autonomy, setting clear expectations, and thoughtfully guiding our children through challenges, we lay the groundwork for a lifetime of self-reliance and resilience.
When we learn to accept, we offer a priceless gift. After all, our children yearn for our love and elated acceptance. Can we give them this? Even just a single sincere moment can last a lifetime.
