Forced Independence vs Independence as an Invitation

Letty Rising joins the podcast to discuss fostering independence in children – and specifically, the difference between inviting a child to be independent as opposed to forcing it on them. She describes the negative repercussions of mandating independence rather than reframing these moments as opportunities. Letty describes what this looks like at each stage of development – physical independence in the first plane, intellectual independence in the second plane, and social/emotional independence in the third plane. Letty talks about how to collaborate with children to invite them toward independence in a way that respects their needs and development. She also discusses how we can use this approach with other adults!