As a parent of a toddler, your job was to provide a sense of security. Now your child has started school, a desire for independence is inevitable. Start small!

The primary school years are full of changes, and the security which was so vital in the beginning is still important. But as your child begins to become a person in their own right, it's time to start building the foundations of communication and give-and-take. Growing up is a very slow process!

Make your own mistakes (sometimes)
If you want to bring up your child to think for herself and to show initiative, at some point she may think and do things you don't like. She's entitled to her views and as long as she isn't doing anything harmful to herself or others, she should be allowed to make her own decisions.

If you are respectful of her right to make (small) decisions for herself, she may continue to seek your advice through adolescence and beyond. If you go on lecturing, criticising and bossing, then she will increasingly turn to her friends as time goes on.