Why are self care skills important?
Self care skills are an important part of development as they empower children to be independent and self-sufficient. They include the daily tasks that are required to participate in life activities. Self care skills are one of the first ways that children develop the ability to plan and sequence task performance, to organise the necessary materials and to develop the refined physical control required to carry out daily tasks (e.g. opening lunch boxes, drawing or standing to pull up pants).
How can I tell if my child is experiencing difficulties with their self care skills?
If a child has self care difficulties, they might:
- Be unable to feed themselves independently.
- Require more help than others of their age to get dressed or undressed.
- Be unable to coordinate movements to brush their teeth.
- Have difficulty using cutlery.
- Show limited motivation for independence in self care, so they wait for adults to do it for them instead.
