Toddler Autonomy & The Parenting Toolbox focuses on ways parents can journey through this stage of development as toddlers try to gain independence. This lesson includes a variety of engaging activities for students and would be a great addition to any child development or parenting class!

Set

• Ask students what it means to be independent and when that begins to develop? The definition of independent means that one is free from outside control or support and it begins to develop around the age of two!
• Explain that today’s focus will be on understanding how toddlers start developing independence, why autonomy is a crucial part of child development and how parents can navigate through it.
• Count students off by two’s. Assign the #1’s one of the following articles/resources and the #2’s the other.
  • “Growing Independence: Tips for Parents of Toddlers and Twos“
  • “The Little Toddler That Could: Autonomy in Toddlerhood“.
• Have students read and highlight key tips and insights on fostering independence in young children. Groups should summarize their findings and be prepared to share with the class.
• After the class discussion, assign the worksheet Parenting for Independence: DO or NOT DO?. Have students independently/individually review each statement and decide if it aligns with the autonomy-building strategies discussed in the articles. Discuss responses as a class, using the answer key to clarify correct answers and encourage students to justify their choices. (If you wish to have access to the key, please email/chat me and I’ll share it with you. Due to cheating, I no longer share answer keys.)

Materials

• iPads or Laptops
• Projector & Screen
• Manila File Folders (affiliate link)
• Glue, Scissors & Markers
• Highlighters

Activities

• Place students into small groups of 4-5. Introduce and go over the Parenting Toolbox project. Provide each group with a toolbox template and various tool templates (hammer, screwdriver, wrench, etc.). The tool box can be printed on regular copy paper. The tools can be printed on copy paper if students are gluing them to the manila file folders. If they are going to insert them into the pocket of the tool box template, then I’d recommend printing them on cardstock.
• Students will use the tools to write down tips for fostering independence based on what they’ve learned. Encourage creativity in decorating the toolbox and tools.
• Explain that the toolboxes will be displayed in a “gallery walk” to share ideas.
• After toolboxes have been displayed, assign students the What Would You Do? assignment. Students must rotate through the gallery walk, using tips from other groups’ toolboxes to determine how to handle the situation/behavior and justify. They may only use one or two tips from their own toolbox so they need to choose wisely. This can be a graded assignment or gone over in class and discussed as students may not all handle each scenario the same way…your call.
• As a concluding activity, assign students the Parenting Toolbox Follow-Up Prompts to complete. Allow them to revisit the toolbox gallery if needed in order to complete. Collect and include as a grade. Note: this is also part of the project rubric.
• Optional: If you need a bulletin board idea, take the parenting toolboxes that students created and hang them up for display!

Attachments

• Parenting for Independence DO or NOT DO Statements (PDF)
• What’s In Your Parenting Toolbox Project & Rubric (PDF)
• Parenting Toolbox Templates (PDF)
• Building Independence–What Would You Do?–Scenarios (PDF)
• Parenting Toolbox Follow-Up Prompts (PDF)