tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12617890.post5152331986119102765..comments2023-12-22T03:43:52.563-05:00Comments on Confessions: To Hover or Not To Hover, That Is The QuestionAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10652075351911729385noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12617890.post-48894085339736230232011-01-03T13:07:54.042-05:002011-01-03T13:07:54.042-05:00This is a good topic, Amy.
I've done a lot of...This is a good topic, Amy.<br /><br />I've done a lot of thinking about this, and I'm sure on most of it, I'll end up changing my mind a hundred times before my kids get out of the house. But here's one thought: I'm trying to think of freedoms for my children in terms of what I want them to be able to do in the future. So by the time they go to college, they need to be able to drive, navigate, make & attend doctor's appointments, talk to adults, cook a meal, do their own homework without prompting, etc. Given those expectations, how do we get there? In other words, instead of thinking of my daughter as just 8 years older than a helpless preemie, I'm trying to think of her as 10 years away from freshman year at college. <br /><br />I used to always walk her to the bathroom. Now, when she's willing, I send her to the bathroom all by herself. When she's not willing, I walk behind her. I say "the bathroom is in the back left corner" and let her find her own way with me trailing. <br /><br />One of my jobs as a parent is to work myself out of a job. Teaching my children independence isn't an option. It's not a lazy way out of parenting. It's just what I'm supposed to do.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13405288517614182498noreply@blogger.com