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8 Products for Encouraging Your Child’s Independence

April 6, 2017 By Sara M. 9 Comments

It must be so hard being little! I have watched my children go through so many phases, but one thing in particular stands out to me. They have ALWAYS wanted to do so much more for themselves. Long before they are even capable of accomplishing a task, they want to give it a shot.

It is this determination that has often made me think about how I can help them to be able to do more for themselves. We’ve tried tons of products for kids in the past four years, but the following items really made a difference in terms of our children learning to be more self-sufficient.

Grippy Bowls


These brightly colored bowls have a rubber gasket on the bottom that keep the bowl stable while little ones are learning to feed themselves. The shape of the bowl/lip also help to push food onto the spoon for less spill offs.

Sippy Cups

I’ve gotten many, many different types of sippy cups and my favorites are these. They are the only ones that are as close to no spill as possible. I mean, it will spill if thrown violently to the floor (which happens on occasion) but otherwise spill proof and not subject to leaking with pressure changes like other models.

EZ Socks

I can’t take credit for this one. My sister actually found these socks and gave them to my daughter as a gift. And I’ve since bought several sets for my son as well. The little loops on the sides are much easier for a toddler to grab than trying to use the sides of a typical sock. If the look of the loops bother you, they are actually easy to tuck in.

Seatbelt Buckle Holders

It’s hard enough for me as an adult to reach over the booster seat for my daughter to get her seatbelt buckled. I was skeptical about this product at first, but it holds the buckle pretty firmly, making it easier for my daughter to be able to get the latch in by herself.

Removable Potty Seats

As you probably know, there are tons of potty seats available. We chose this particular version because we wanted one that was fully removable, had handles on both sides, and had a splatter guard in the front. It is also antimicrobial, which is a plus.

Stools


We have four different types stools in our house. Yes, FOUR. Stools are one of the easiest ways for little people to be able to participate more in their environment. In the kitchen, I wanted stools that were on the larger side (large surface area), very stable (rubber feet), lightweight (so the kids can move them), tall enough (two steps), and flush with the counter (to avoid leaning). After experimenting with several versions, here is my favorite that met these requirements.

For around the house, in bathrooms, etc., I like to use these folding stools. I wanted something that was tall enough that they could use it to get on the toilet or reach the sink and wanted it to be able to be stowed away easily. In addition to Amazon, I seen this model at both grocery stores and Walmart. My only word of caution on these is that there is a risk of pinching when a child (or adult) is trying to unfold the stool – this part should be supervised.

Coat Rack

Any coat rack or multipurpose hooks would work, but the trick is to install it low so that the little ones can reach it to hang up their own coats. This idea is also great for additional belongings like lunch bags and are great for use in their own rooms as well.


Hands Free Faucet

Warning! This one’s a bit extravagant. That said, I will personally never go back to using a non-hands free faucet. I love the fact that I can turn it on with a clean part of my arm when my hands are full of chicken goop. When it comes to the kids, even with a stool it is still hard for them to reach most faucet handles and control the temperature. They have mastered the touch function and have also learned the color red/purple/blue codes for temperature, which warns them if the water is too hot. Really great product.

 

Have you found any other great products that help your children to be more self-sufficient? I am always interested in hearing your ideas.

TheSanityPlan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. All products recommended are used personally by us and opinions about them are our own

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: gifts, preschool, products, toddlers

A Different Back to School Story

September 3, 2016 By Sara M. 2 Comments

I took my daughter, who is almost 4, back to daycare today after being off for the summer. I stayed to observe while she played on the playground with her class and got accustomed to the kids and the teachers. Then I coaxed her to join the line the rest of her class had made. They all walked obediently into the room, and it was then that I noticed her face.

680x450-LonelyGirlSchoolShe looked absent and worried, standing slightly offset to the line. It was so easy to see that she was so overwhelmed by the commotion. She was so deeply removed that it took me calling her name 3 times to say goodbye before she noticed. It hurt me so much to watch her suffer.

I drove home with a heavy heart. I brooded about it all day and overnight, and decided that if she hated school we would pull her out yet again. This decision was solidified by her difficult behavior at home that evening and the next morning. She was overly emotional and defiant. In the morning, she dug her heels in about getting dressed causing the whole morning routine to take more than two hours. I thought for sure we’d have a fight about going to school.

But there was no fight.

When we arrived at school, I was shocked to hear her say:

“Is this my school? I love this school!”

And she threw off her seat belt to get out.

She loves her school?! Her overwhelming, 20 kids to a class, 2 new teachers, school filled with colors and chaos and noise.

And then something clicked for me. A wise person recently told me that we can love something and still be overwhelmed by it at the same time. I experience this all the time in my own life. I love going to the city for the day. I feel stimulated by the sights and sounds and people. I jump at the opportunity to go. But when the stimulation wears off, I need time to wind down. I need to rest. I need to let my senses return to normal in my own private, quiet, and comfortable place.

She is no different. And it will be my job as her parent to encourage her to explore those opportunities that stimulate her, while teaching her how to regulate her emotions when they are over. I will teach her how to take a quiet moment for herself, sit outside on the porch, read a story on the couch, or snuggle in my lap.

I will teach her to enjoy the best of both worlds.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: preschool, sensory, spd, toddlers

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Welcome to THE SANITY PLAN! Here you will find my attempts to restore order in my crazy life post kids. I'm just getting started & I have a lot to say. So far I've written a lot about my perspectives on parenting (sorry, it's where I am at), but I'd love it if you followed my journey to improve my habits, get more organized, redefine my career, and generally live a good life. Or, you can follow just for the entertainment, I promise there will be lots of that. Do you want to learn more about building A Sanity Plan?

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