The educational journey of a kid starts the day he or she is born. Learning is an ongoing process, parents must understand the importance of self help skills for kids in order to make them more independent and inspire them to try new things. Teaching self help skills to preschoolers is one way to let them grow and become more independent. The purpose of teaching self help skills is to enable children to take care of themselves, do basic hygiene, self dressing, and understand the surrounding a bit.
Parents often get confused on “When should we teach self help skills”. An age wise self help skills chart is shared later in the post to help parents understand the right time for teaching self help skills to their child.
Checklist for Self Care Development
| Stage of Life | Self-Help Skills to Teach |
| Early Childhood | Basic hygiene (e.g., handwashing, teeth brushing) |
| (Ages 0-5) | Self-dressing (putting on/taking off simple clothing) |
| Elementary School | Time & Work Management (e.g., planning schedules) |
| (Ages 6-11) | Organization (e.g., keeping things organized), Read School Calendar |
| Teen Age | Decision-making, Taking Responsibility of Actions |
| (Ages 12-18) | Setting Goals and Planning, Problem-solving skills |
The confidence of child increases when he start practising self help skills. Children have this naturally tendancy and energy to always try new things, you will often see them doing things here and there. As a parent, you need to put your child’s energy in a correct direction and encourage them to do self care i.e. feeding themselves, wash their hands, self dressing, teeth bushing, etc.
Please note, teaching a child is a gradual process, you cannot rush things and start teaching time management to a 3 year old kid. There is an age to do certain things and that’s why we have shared an age wise self help skills table here so you can understand what to teach and at what age.
What are Self Help Skills?
Firstly, let’s understand what are self help skills for kids and why there are important.
Self Help Skills are an essential life skills that enable kids to perform daily tasks independently. Self help skills include, washing hands, self feeding, dressing, hygiene, climbing stairs, etc. The whole purpose of teaching self help skills to kids is to make them more independent, boost their confidence, and make them a capable individual who can control his or her life and surroundings.
Why are self-help skills important?
- They are important for a kid’s growth and development.
- They boost kid’s confidence, self esteem, and make them more independent.
- A sense of responsibility and independence comes naturally when a kid is taking care of himself.
- They will be able to develop a habit of problem solving.
- They will learn the importance of self care, family care, etc.
What are Different Self Help Skills to Practice for Toddlers?
There are different type of self help skills that you can teach to your kid and some of them are listed below.
- Teeth brushing
- washing hand
- combing hair
- self feeding
- self dressing
- carrying their own things
- put toys away
- put and take shoes
- fold clothes
- eat with fork and spoon
Keep it fun and simple
Learning should be fun and engaging. As a parent, it’s your responsibility to never force things on a kid, instead make it fun and interesting. When it comes to children, you have to patient and manage your expectations. Kids understand the language of love, keep things super simple for them. Let them learn, fall, and grow. You should be the one supporting them and be there whenever they need you.
Today’s kid are the future of tomorrow’s world. Teach them good values, make them understand the importance of self care, family values, make them self-reliance and confident individuals. Be a strong pillar for them and prepare them to navigate through the challenges of life.