News Herald – Juliann Talkington
With all the pressures of adult life, many parents want to be sure childhood is fun and filled with positive memories. Does this mean we should wait to teach our kids about responsibility? Probably not.
Responsible people know how to care for themselves, their family, their friends and the community. They are dependable, trustworthy, conscientious, reliable, sensible and accountable for their actions.
It is unrealistic to expect young people to instantly become responsible when they reach adulthood. Instead, responsibility should be taught gradually. Since there is a lot to learn, the teaching process should begin when children are very young.
The best way to teach children responsibility is by example. If you can be trusted and are good about keeping commitments and thinking before you act and it is easier to expect the same from your child. In other words, if you promise to go to your child’s soccer game, make sure you are there.
Also, it is important to give your child roles. Many parents underestimate what a child can do. Young children love to be involved and take pride in handling an “adult task”. For example, it is reasonable to expect a three year old to clean up his space after he eats. When a child is older, he should be responsible for his homework and keeping his room clean.
In addition, it is important to set rules and consequences. Then make sure you follow through. In adult life, there are penalties for poor decisions, so it is important that your child understands the link between decisions and consequences.
Then make sure you allow your child to practice. For practice to be effective, it is important not to micromanage. Your child needs to make mistakes, so he can learn. For example, ask your child to tell you what he has for homework. Allow him to do the work. Then follow-up to make sure everything is done. If he continues to avoid completing the work, make sure there are consequences.
Celebrate success. Kids need to know when they have done a good job. This step will help reinforce good behavior.
Finally, broaden the scope. As your child grows and matures it is important for him to take on more and more responsibility, so he can continue to learn and grow.
And remember, teaching responsibility creates opportunities for fun, so you can build memories while you prepare your child for the future.