Ever find yourself feeling as though everything in the day is left up to you? Maybe you know that your child could do a task but you don’t have the time to teach or wait for them to do it. The 10-minute independence challenge method if a great way to slowly introduce new skills our children are ready for.

What is the 10-Minute Independence Challenge Method?

In the 10-minute independence challenge method we are introducing the next step or in some cases the final step in a process. This is done to keep the new skill achievable with wins in just 10 minutes.

If our big goal is leaving the house on time you pick a small skill. The skill is something that your child is capable of but not doing now. Then we will spend just 10 minutes practicing the skill at a time we are not leaving the house.

How did this method start?

There was a period of time doing the toilet learning process where we got a puppy. My best friend came to visit and as we chatted I helped the kids with various tasks. If any child or puppy needed help with the facilities I literally dropped everything and ran to help. By the end of the night my friend was laughing and I was thinking ‘how did I get here?’.

A few things came from this. The first was that I can only guarantee I have ten minutes to dedicate to an activity at a time. The second was I am not giving my kids the chance to learn how to do things for themselves. So often it is easier to just do the thing and continue on your day.

I thought before this day that I was teaching my children to be independent. And I was. But not as intentionally or consistently as I would have liked. The 10-minute independence method gives me the chance to take 10 minutes to work on a skill but also lets me know what to do next.

Why is it only 10 minutes?

Our children have short attention spans. We want to end the challenge before they lose interest. Some skills they will be really into and want to keep practicing. If they can continue practicing independently then great! But if they need your help to keep practicing find a way they can practice by themselves.

It is often the independent practice after we step away where the magic happens. This is when they problem solve, build resilience, and get the confidence by completing a hard task by themselves. Maybe you wouldn’t let them continue to use a knife when you walk away. You could pull out play dough and a butter knife letting the skill building continue.

We are busy and we can find 10 minutes. Honestly finding time to do the important things is just so hard. But it is hard to say that I don’t have 10 minutes for my kids. If you don’t have 10 minutes you can do a 5 minute version.

Many of the skills you will actually spend less than 10 minutes on at a time. 10 minutes is the upper limit but this also isn’t a race to be finished. Take your time. Keep this enjoyable for your child. Have a goal for what success looks like for the end of the practice.