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How To Help Your Kids Stand On Their Own

How To Help Your Kids Stand On Their Own
Dr. Phil Show
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While parenting can be one of the most rewarding jobs, it can also be daunting. "There is a natural age-old tension that all parents face between nurturing and protecting your child -- making sure they have what they need and they're safe -- versus preparing them [for the world], which means you've got to let them scrape knees," says Dr. Phil in the video above. “You’ve got to get them out there to learn what they need to learn. Over-indulgence is not a gift to children.”

Explaining that we live in an "eat what you kill world," Dr. Phil adds, "If we allow our children to get by without being the absolute best that they can be, without using all their skills, ability, traits and characteristics, we truly are cheating them. Don’t feed your own dependency needs by keeping them close to you. Help them stand on their own.”


Also on HuffPost:

Ways To Teach Kids The Joy Of Giving
Donate toys(01 of07)
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Regularly go through their toys together for items they have outgrown or no longer love. Set aside the gently used ones (it's insulting to donate broken and battered things) and bring your children with you to deliver to the collection point. (credit:Alamy)
Hold donation birthday parties(02 of07)
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Ask guests to bring something simple for charity -- a book or small stuffed animal for instance -- rather than a gift for your child. Go as a family to a shelter, hospital or other place where these gifts will cheer up other children. (credit:Alamy)
Small gestures(03 of07)
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When you bake, make extras for an elderly neighbor. Shovel the driveway of the family next door with a new baby, or mow their lawn. Send cards and cookies to the troops. Draw pictures for the residents of the nearby retirement home. (credit:Alamy)
Be kind to animals(04 of07)
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Buy pet food and treats and bring your children with you when you deliver to the local shelter. (credit:Alamy)
Feed real people who are hungry(05 of07)
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Go as a family to the local food bank. They can not only watch where their canned donations go, but they can sweep and stack and meet the people who are served by their contributions. Or bring your kids along on a midnight run to deliver sandwiches to the homeless. (credit:Alamy)
Divide their allowance into "Spend" "Save" and "Give Away."(06 of07)
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Then, periodically, decide how to give it away together. (credit:Alamy)
Give blood(07 of07)
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They can't do this. But they can come along and wait while you do. They will like the cookies. (credit:Alamy)

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