It can be tempting to step in and “just do it” when your child struggles, whether it’s opening a tricky package, making a sandwich that keeps falling apart, or facing the frustration of trying something new.

But every time we take over, we unintentionally miss a chance to build their confidence and problem-solving skills.

Today, I’ll share practical ways to reinforce independence while staying calm and connected. You’ll learn how to support your child through the frustration without rescuing, and how to balance encouragement with connection so they gain skills and emotional resilience.

Helping kids become more independent doesn’t just teach them to do things on their own, it teaches them that they can try, fail, and succeed while knowing you’re there to support them.

Jennifer's Takeaways:

• Encouraging Independence in Children (00:00 )
• Understanding Personal Responses (02:38 )
• Supportive Techniques for Independence (04:35 )
• Encouraging Phrases and Micro Boundaries (06:45 )
• Personalized Approaches and Long-term Practice (10:15 )

Meet Jennifer Kolari

Jennifer Kolari is the host of the “Connected Parenting” weekly podcast and the co-host of “The Mental Health Comedy” podcast. Kolari is a frequent guest on Nationwide morning shows and podcasts in the US and Canada. Her advice can also be found in many Canadian and US magazines such as; Today’s Parent, Parents Magazine and Canadian Family.

Kolari’s powerful parenting model is based on the neurobiology of love, teaching parents how to use compassion and empathy as powerful medicine to transform challenging behavior and build children’s emotional resilience and emotional shock absorbers.

Jennifer’s wisdom, quick wit and down to earth style help parents navigate modern-day parenting problems, offering real-life examples as well as practical and effective tools and strategies.

Her highly entertaining, inspiring workshops are shared with warmth and humour, making her a crowd-pleasing speaker with schools, medical professionals, corporations and agencies throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

One of the nation’s leading parenting experts, Jennifer Kolari, is a highly sought- after international speaker and the founder of Connected Parenting. A child and family therapist with a busy practice based in San Diego and Toronto, Kolari is also the author of Connected Parenting: How to Raise A Great Kid (Penguin Group USA and Penguin Canada, 2009) and You’re Ruining My Life! (But Not Really): Surviving the Teenage Years with Connected Parenting (Penguin Canada, 2011).