Spring Skills
It’s time to help your child reacquire - or newly acquire - some springtime skills!
These will vary depending on your location, but make yourself a short written list of those skills your child will need to have to function with independence in daily life in the weeks ahead.
It will likely look something like this:
Putting on and taking off rain boots (or other boots or shoes)
Snapping and unsnapping a raincoat or windbreaker
Opening, closing, and holding an umbrella
Walking around puddles
During your weekend, sit down with your child and talk about spring - the changes in weather and clothing in particular. Discuss what skills will be needed, and why.
Now, let your child know you’re going to practice these skills together. Here’s how - I suggest just practicing one at a time.
Demonstrate the skill.
Slowly open and close the snaps on your child’s jacket.
Show your child how you take your own rainboots on and off.
Demonstrate your umbrella procedures.
Model walking around a puddle (you could use a towel to indicate the puddle).
Invite your child repeat and practice a few times.
Have a spirit of playful discovery as you practice; stay close for scaffolding.
This needn’t take more than 10 minutes.
Conclude on a lighthearted note, gently celebrating the practice.
“Those snaps are tricky! You have to use your strength to close them. We’ll keep practicing and I know they will start to get a bit easier.”
“You can definitely take off your rainboots easily nowadays. Do you think the practice with your snow boots helped you?”
“That was fun to imagine a puddle in our living room and practice walking around it! That will be so helpful when we need to walk around a large puddle on the way to school or when we’re going to the park.”
If you are losing time to power struggles around dressing and getting out the door in the morning, this practice is especially important - and pay special attention to maintaining that warm, playful spirit.
From here, you can consider what other skills are relevant to your home and your child’s experience.
Maybe your child will be helping you care for your garden, welcoming home a new puppy, or starting a new sports class this spring. Maybe they’ll be traveling on an airplane for the first time in awhile or going for regular hikes.
What basic skills could you practice on the weekends, to support their success?
Maybe it’s measuring dog food, playing catch, packing a suitcase, or preparing for a hike. Pull out the fundamentals and practice, following the same steps above.