Every parent wants to raise happy,
independent and strong children who will eventually grow into dependable adults.
A key factor in a successful educational and occupational career is responsibility, specifically the ability
to handle dealing with a variety of sometimes challenging tasks.
Teaching children to be responsible begins, first and foremost, with the parents, as children keenly observe
their surroundings and unintentionally absorb traits from the people they interact with.
Beyond displaying responsible behavior, however, parents can also involve their children in the
responsibilities of their daily lives — tailored appropriately, of course, to the child’s age.
A young child will be able to grasp the idea of tidying up, for example, by returning all of his or her toys
to a designated basket or area.
Older children can help with household chores, or look after the family pet. As with all parenting, praise
should be given enthusiastically and generously to reward the child’s responsible behavior.
This will build the child’s self-esteem and confidence while encouraging him/her to adopt more
responsibilities within the household. Including your child in the running of the home takes some of the
chore load off of the parents, too.
It is amazing how much faster a table is cleared when an extra set of hands or two are available to help with
the dirty dishes.
Like any new experience, acquiring responsibilities creates the opportunity for the child to make
mistakes. It is important that children learn to take responsibilities for their mistakes as well as
their new actions.
Encourage your child to approach you for guidance should something go awry so that they can learn to approach
the problem directly and avoid it coming up in the future.
Parents who try to bail their children out of all of their mistakes are not doing them a favour; rather, they
are facilitating a carelessness that could prove detrimental as the child matures.
Children are eager to please, and when assigned a new task, will undoubtedly ask many questions to ensure
that they carry their new responsibility through correctly.
Patience and understanding here is key as children acquire new tasks and related skills. Parent must
also realize that every child is different, with varying learning capacity; hence some kids are quick
learners, whereas others may take a while to learn something new.
Never draw comparisons between two children, but rather highlight areas of excellent behaviour in both.
While the reward approach works well initially, it is important to develop an inner desire in your kids to
help or assist you with household chores.
To instill this pride, thank your children profusely and illustrate the ease at which they helped you
complete an otherwise tedious and challenging task.
This appreciation will help shape your child into a selfless individual acquainted with the pleasure of
giving to others.
A popular way of blending household responsibility with financial responsibility is to give your child an
allowance.
This is an easy way for them to be held accountable for their actions, and as it encourages them to make
their own financial decisions, children learn the value of a dollar.•
Photo courtesy of sxc /
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