Letting Go to Let Grow PART 3: Two Months In

Did you miss part 2, Planning and Execution? Read it here.

How can children take small steps toward more confidence and competence? How do well-meaning, caring adults get out of the way and enable opportunities for children to test their psychological immune systems, build skills and resilience, and test the boundaries beyond their comfort zones?  Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, and his colleague Let Grow Founder Lenore Skenazy offer one way - the Let Grow Project.  Read the third installment of how one local mom’s read of The Anxious Generation spurred an interest in “letting go to let grow”. If you missed part 1, Conception, or part 2, Planning and Execution, access them here.

Two Months In: Things are going pretty smoothly at home.  The kids have been champs.  Shawn calls me every morning after they turn off the TV and are getting ready to go out to the bus stop. 

We run through his checklist:

"Are your lunches in your backpacks?

Are your water bottles packed?

What are you wearing - a sweatshirt or jacket?

Make sure you've penned in the dog!" 

And they cheerfully hang up afterwards and head out to the bus. 

The worst thing that happened is that the dog went without water for a few hours. 

I'm so glad we've ceded some responsibility to Shawn.  He is offering to be home alone now at other times too.  And he doesn't balk at the extra allowance he's earning either!

What might your child be ready to do on their own?  For more information about the Let Grow project go to LetGrow.org.