Alone time for kids - How do I introduce it to my son?

Being alone is a positive and natural state. I guess we all know that there's a huge difference between being alone and loneliness.

The thing is when it comes to kids or even a teenager, we fear their alone time. We ask them repeatedly if they are feeling lonely if they want a friend to come over or want to go outside.

I believe having some alone time comes with a huge benefit. I have crosschecked this with researchers and turns out, it's a fact. On top of it, this concept depends on culture as well. Many cultures don't allow, or see this negatively, and point fingers at the mom if they let their kids have alone time.
So if you are the one who doesn't give kids alone time or fear it, then let me tell you my way of introducing this to my son.

Sometimes he does his homework by himself.

I have learned that from a very early age, we can give them some alone and lonely time. Not necessarily putting them in another room but rather giving them some 'me' time to figure out things.

• I have introduced this to my son after 6 months. I used to keep an eye on him, a seat in the corner and gave him enough toys and books to browse.

• If your child show signs that they need you, then go for it. Don't wait for the timeout.

• Give them space little by little, like starting with 5 minutes and they will be okay with 30 minutes gradually with their age.

A few things I always keep in mind-

• Always keep an eye on them so you can detect potential danger.

• Keep them engaged in different activities and let them figure out how to be productive.

• Encourage learning new things like giving them painting, Lego, etc.

• Keep a quiet environment so they can distract from the world of TV and mobile and engage themselves in their world.

Being alone helps to create an overall sense of well-being as we learn to not feel lonely. Also, giving our kids alone time means we moms can have some me time as well.

You may not believe it, but my son now finds his alone time. He takes his favorite toys, sometimes coloring books and pencils, and goes to his room or in a corner, sometimes on our balcony too. I know that he loves it. He sometimes makes ready some surprises for me like a Lego robot, a drawing of our family, or a random craft.

You can initiate this in your household. I can guarantee it will help to find solitude.

Have a good day, everyone. Happy parenting.