Create a ‘how web’
"If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." To build autonomy, create a ‘how web’. Autonomy is about options. There is almost always choice when it comes to how we think about our life and the challenges we face. Completing a 'how web' can help us see...
Maintain a strong community
Autonomy has been researched in over 80 countries across the world. In all these countries, it’s shown to have a positive association to our life satisfaction. This is because, when we have self-directed goals and can follow our own interests and passions, we’re more...
Find a mentoring group for your child
Autonomy is our ability to make self-directed decisions. This does not mean that we’re alone in our decision making. What it means is that our decisions reflect our own values and beliefs – not other people’s! The research shows that we can help our children build...
An Umbrella Parenting Quote
Building any of the Umbrella Skills is a great way to improve your child's autonomy and internal locus of control. This is their perception that they have control over the direction of their lives instead of feeling that life is happening to them. By focusing on each...
Self-Directed Goals and Report Cards
Report cards outline adult expectations for kids and give details of what we're evaluating them on. This does not leave much opportunity for them to identify or act on their own goals. Parents - you can help support your child's autonomy by adding a few additional...
Contest: #BuildYourUmbrella with us this Spring!
March is here and the kids will soon be wearing muddy boots, rain coats, and dancing in the rain. As we prepare for this joyful spring season, we are inviting educators, parents, and communities to enter our exciting March contest. Comment on any of our Instagram...
On Choosing Extracurriculars
Research suggests that kids who are autonomous in selecting their extracurricular activities are more likely to stay actively engaged in that sport or activity over time. For kids who do not have free choice to choose their extracurricular activities, a different...
Ask, ‘What Could You Have Done?’
To help your child develop autonomy, you want them to take responsibility for their learning. There will always be external factors at play in our lives. However, it can be easy for your children to externalize onto other people why certain things were not completed....
All about Autonomy this March at the Umbrella Project!
Welcome to March! This month, we are focusing our energy on building autonomy. In my personal journey of building my own umbrella, autonomy is something that I didn’t get a lot of through my childhood. As an adult, I have spent a lot of focus building out this...
Do a ‘Beginner’s Mind’ Activity
Today's tip for building mindfulness is - do a beginner's mind activity! Consider this scenario: you've just landed from Mars. You have never seen or done any of the usual daily Earth-based activities. How do you approach doing routine daily tasks? Probably with...