1. By age six, your child really is old enough to take responsibility for a great deal of her own personal care. For instance, she should be able to comb her hair, carry her school bag, tidy up her mess and pick her things up from the floor.
2. If you have a domestic helper, you may well find that she tends to do most
of these tasks for your child. Have a chat with your helper and explain that you are glad she cares enough about your child that she wants to do all these things for her, but add that you now want your kid to become more independent.
3. You'll probably face an uphill struggle but you need to tell her the benefits of being less reliant on your helper. So spell it out for her clearly. Say: "If you learn how to clean your room, then your clothes won't be crushed and dirty from lying on the floor." She'll understand practical examples like these.
4. There's no magic formula. You just need to make sure you and the other adults at home work together. Gaining independence requires your child to move outside her comfort zone, so give her lots of reassurance and encouragement.