Your 5-Year-Old Timeline: Try, try again Last updated: July 2008
Your 5-year-old now
We all want to raise independent, resilient children with healthy self-esteem. We need to praise and encourage them — but within reason. If we're complimenting their every action, the words of praise soon sound hollow and meaningless. Likewise, if you protect your child from every challenge, she won't develop the skills to solve problems or think for herself.
Experts believe that children are healthier emotionally and learn more when they face obstacles and overcome them. There's a sweet emotional boost that comes when they succeed after they've failed. In fact, perseverance may be more important to future success than intelligence or talent.
So as your 5-year-old ventures out and tries new things, from tying her own shoes to making new friends on the playground, don't step in to help at the first sign of frustration. It's okay to let her figure it out herself. She wants — and needs — to try new challenges. When she does succeed, she'll feel so much better about it.
Try these phrases to encourage perseverance in your child:
• "I know you can do it!"
• "Hang in there."
• "Keep trying."
• "Don't give up yet."
Your life now
As your life with a 5-year-old winds down, give yourself a moment to review how far you've come as a parent. Your helpless baby is now a sturdy, curious, amazing little person who can walk, talk, draw, and maybe even read and write. As you marvel, remember, too, that for as big as she's become, she's still a little kid. She still needs slack occasionally — and plenty of hugs.
