Parent Tip 

"Five-year-old Sam can't dress herself. Every morning, her parent tells her to start dressing, then makes empty threats about what will happen if she doesn't make an effort, and then scolds her as they dress her themselves. Sam has learned how good it is to be helpless - she gets lots of attention and dressed into the bargain. 

Eight-year-old Jay isn't expected to do any chores at home. His parents work, cook, clean and pick up after him, even making his bed. His parents say they don't mind as they want Jay to enjoy his childhood. 

Both of these children have good, caring parents, but they might be missing something here. Making choices and having responsibilities increases children's self-esteem. By doing everything for our children, we can inadvertently rob them of opportunities for increased confidence and independence. It's not an easy balance to get right, especially when we enjoy doing things for our children, but it's good to notice how much and how often we take over, and learn how to step back, so our children can step forward."

(Source - What Can a Parent Do?)

Amanda Thorpe - Parent Family Support Advisor