This post is sponsored by Huggies but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
My son is almost 2 years old. It is so hard to believe. Time truly does fly when you’re raising kids. This whole parenting thing does not get any easier, either. He is running around all over the place and has more energy than I can keep up with most days. My daughter has also started rolling all over. She is still a month or two away from crawling, but she doesn’t let that stop her from getting to where she needs to be. In a few more months, I am going to be exhausted chasing after these two.
As I raise my babies, I am trying to keep in mind the importance of their independence. While it is so scary to think about, I know that the only way they will learn is through experience. I want them to feel confident enough to be independent people, try new things and be responsible adults one day. Teaching them early on is a great way to ensure their independence in the future. Obviously, they are still very young so they are still limited, but here are a few tips on how to help your child be independent :
1. Create a Safe Environment – childproof your house so that you and your baby can be confident in their exploration.
2. Be okay with Leaving Them Every Now and Then – this is the one I struggle with the most. I love my babies and I hate missing out on their lives. I love and need breaks often, but I have a hard time saying goodbye too much. In my mind, I feel bad pushing my kids off on someone else, but I’m learning that that’s not the way other’s see it. My trying to be responsible for my kids can result in Ryan and I not getting very much time away from them and that can be just as harmful for them as it is to our relationship. It’s healthy to be away from them sometimes. The tough part is learning to balance that time. Some parents send their kids off too much and others (me) have a hard time sending them away at all.
3. Set Them Up for Success – Choosing the right diaper for your baby once they start to really move around is key. For Hampton, that choice was easy. Huggies Little Movers have been an excellent choice for him because they move with him. I feel like it is a diaper that really keeps up with him.
4. Teach Your Child- Teaching your child right from wrong and what is and isn’t acceptable is so important. Teaching them will help them learn their boundaries and will help guide them in the right direction and give them a firm foundation to making wise decisions.
5. Let Your Child Help You – I love to let Hampton “help” me with laundry. He is totally infatuated with the dryer, so I always let him help me put the wet clothes into the dryer and push the big “start” button. He loves it and he is learning a great life skill.
Share photos of your baby on social media and use hashtag #SetBabyFree for a chance to be featured on the Huggies website!
How do you teach your child independence? Have you tried Huggies Little Movers?
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