As parents, we get so caught up in looking out for our children that often without realizing it, we do everything for them. And then, after they have reached a certain age, we expect them to start taking responsibilities. But by then they are already in the habit of us doing everything for them and so, start the yelling matches!

Responsibility from early age

Several studies have shown that we need to start inculcating the sense of responsibility in our children from a very early age. We just need to begin small. For example, when children are toddlers, they can be taught how to put their toys away and how to clean up some of their messes. They can also be allowed to decide when they would like to use the toilet. Pre-schoolers can be made responsible for chores such as feeding pets, tidying their rooms and setting tables. By the time children are eight, children can be made responsible for chores such as answering calls politely, helping with preparing meals and keeping their closets organized. They can also be sent to shops and allowed to handle money. This not only makes them better at maths, it also teaches them the value of money and lets them get a sense of profit and loss.

When we start teaching children to take responsibilities, they will need constant supervision. But as they grow older, they need less and less of it. We can choose to use rewards to teach them responsibilities but punishments should be avoided as they are only temporary fixes. We need to remember that hugs and praises often make the best rewards and that they should be used generously.

Setting right expectations

Another important thing to be kept in mind while teaching children responsibilities is to keep a check on our expectations. For example, a child of four may spill something while taking their plate to the sink. We must recognize the job done rather than focus on the spill. Children thrive on routine and sometimes setting up a routine that ends in a positive result works wonders while teaching them their responsibilities. For example, children can be can be told that they need to pack their school bags, brush their teeth and get into their night clothes before reading a book for 15 minutes and going to bed at 10 pm.

An important thing we can teach children while teaching them to be responsible is consequences. For example, if a child is supposed to make sure they have clean shoes to wear to school and they do not, we should allow the child to go to school wearing dirty shoes and get a remark from the teacher. This will teach the child the consequences of not taking their responsibilities seriously.

Teaching children about responsibilities is a task that requires a lot of patience, love and perseverance; patience and love to make our children responsible and perseverance to ensure they grow into responsible adults. But, in the end, it is all worth the effort!

 

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