How Bright Horizons Helped My Child Build Autonomy & Resilience
Meet Laura, mother to a 2-year-old and 7-month-old, and member of our fantastic Parent Panel; a diverse community of Bright Horizons parents sharing their experiences of raising happy, thriving and confident children. When our son first started in the toddler room at the age of 18 months, we were a little nervous about how he’d adjust to being in a new environment. He’s always been a curious little boy, but like many toddlers, he hadn’t quite built up the skills and confidence to do things on his own. Fast forward a year, and the transformation has been such a joy to witness. We really needn’t have worried!
One of the biggest changes we’ve noticed is his growing sense of autonomy. Every morning now starts with phrases like, “I can do it myself!” Whether it’s putting on his shoes, pouring water into his cup, or tidying up his toys, he takes so much pride in being independent.
His favourite phrase, though, is “Let’s find out!” It’s so fun to watch him approach new challenges and experiences with curiosity and determination, a mindset that I’m certain has been nurtured at nursery.
Tip we’ve found useful: Create an environment at home where children can practise doing things themselves, such as providing child-friendly tools and plenty of time for them to try tasks at their own pace. Our son loves helping in the kitchen, so a toddler helper tower and a set of child-friendly knives, cutters and chopping boards have really helped foster this!
What stands out to me is how the nursery encourages independence in a way that feels organic and fun for the children. From the activities designed to build problem-solving skills to the child-sized equipment that empowers them to do things on their own, it’s clear that every aspect of the nursery environment is carefully considered. I love hearing stories about how he asks to wash his hands before a meal or chooses his own activity during free play. These small moments have such a big impact.
His resilience has grown as well. He still gets frustrated when something doesn’t go his way, but now I’ll notice him trying to use calming techniques we have shown him. It’s taking lots of practise and reminding (of course!) but when we encourage him, he’ll pause, take a breath, and try again. This shift in attitude and willingness to calm down in a moment of frustration has been a huge milestone for him. I believe a big part of this is due to the supportive staff who gently encourage him to persevere rather than stepping in to solve the problem for him.
Tip we’ve found useful: When you need to calm a stressful situation, try the birthday candle method. Hold up a few fingers and ask your child to ‘blow’ them out, one at a time (and put a finger down each time they do). This encourages deep inhales and exhales, a great way to reset the nervous system. If he’s not showing interest, sometimes even taking deep breaths myself will lead to my son copying me.
Lastly, his language and social skills have flourished. He speaks confidently with both adults and his peers, and he’s forming meaningful friendships. These improvements have really reinforced how much he’s thriving in the nursery environment and building his independence. With the supportive environment created at nursery, as well as the many opportunities for child-led learning and new experiences, I’m confident we’ll only see our son’s resilience and independence continue to grow, especially as we look to preschool as the next big transition.
If you enjoyed this article and found it to be useful, you can check out more of our early childcare resources in our Family Resource Zone!
And, if you’re not yet a Bright Horizons parent, but are interested in what our nurseries can offer your child on their exciting educational journey, book a personal tour at your local nursery today.
