Nursery World - Independence

Independence is an essential life skill and one that needs to be nurtured from an early age. The term is often understood to mean a range of skills, from helping children to be apart from their families to developing skills in dressing and encouraging them to think for themselves. In fact, all aspects of independence are important for children to learn to be self-sufficient individuals. The drive for independence starts from babyhood. Young babies rapidly make decisions about what they play with, what they like to eat and who they prefer to be with. Toddlers will thrive in a healthy environment where they have opportunities to do more and more for themselves.

The drive for independence starts from babyhood. Young babies rapidly make decisions about what they play with, what they like to eat and who they prefer to be with. Toddlers will thrive in a healthy environment where they have opportunities to do more and more for themselves.

Practitioners, however, recognise that children will only be sufficiently confident to start to deal with the world themselves if they come from a background of security, support and adult love. Two restrictions to a child's growing independence occur when they are overprotected or where they are pressured into achieving developmental milestones too early.

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