All by myself

"All by myself" - have you heard you little one say this over and over again when you want to do something for them, or they have seen you do something? This sentence represents a huge step in their development and their long journey to complete independence. Whether it is putting food on a plate, getting dressed, jumping off a bench or tyring out a new toy. As dads we've got a great opportunity when they reach this stage (typically between 2 and 3) to encourage our children to do things all by themselves (perhaps with a bit of assistance in the end ... but still). It's a huge confidence boost to the little ones if they can perform a task that dad used to do by themselves (give lots of praise). It's also a sign that your little princess is beginning to assert herself. So it's also important to keep this natural desire for independence and control in balance so she doesn't end up "all by herself" in the playground because she doesn't know how to take turns or ends up dominatinating play.

And since it's Friday I thought I might as well include the most appropriate song on this topic ...

Enjoy,

Stef