Parenting Tips W/ Michelle Dell’Aquila

Last week, we had Michelle Dell’Aquila in the office, who spoke to our patients about parenting strategies. Michelle is an early childhood specialist & parenting coach, as well as a published author of The Break-Up to Co-Parenting Journey: A Guide for Parents and Milestone Handbook: Insights and Activities for Developmental Milestones. She gave us great insight into strategies to develop resilient and independent children. Our main takeaways from our time with her were:

• Kids need to have responsibility. By giving children chores and other tasks, it gives them agency over their own actions. For younger children, it allows them to understand the concept of work and helps them organize and be mission driven when completing tasks.

• Encourage your children to problem-solve. Rather than doing everything for your children, let them work out problems on their own. This helps them develop patience and resilience, in addition to improving their critical thinking.

• Have age-appropriate expectations. While some discomfort is necessary for developing resilient children, having improper expectations can be detrimental and discourage your children from trying to problem-solve.

These practices help to give kids freedom within limits, enabling them to explore and learn safely. Dr. Gabriel aims to develop children who are ready to overcome their fears and find their purpose. Help your child gain confidence and independence by considering the guidelines above.