Important Tips for IncreasingResponsibilityin Children
Responsibility means the ability to accept and take on tasks that are requested of someone. One of the biggest concerns for parents is enhancing their children’s sense of responsibility. In this article, we will introduce you to simple strategies to strengthen this sense in children, so stay with us.
How to Increase Responsibility in Children
If parents want to let their child be, they will constantly witness their disorganization. On the other hand, if they take over all their child’s tasks, the child will never learn to be independent. These issues exist in many families, but what is the right way to deal with these simple yet upsetting problems?
Mother: Mehrdad! It’s past six-thirty. Don’t you want to get out of bed? The bus is coming in twenty minutes. How thoughtless can a child be!!!
Mehrdad (while closing his eyes trying to get out of bed): How many times do I have to tell you to wake me up early? Why did you come to me so late?
Mother: You’re ten years old. I’ve been calling you since six. No matter how many times I call, you act like you can’t hear. You have to stay up late watching unrelated series. It’s not my business anymore…
Nurturing Kid’s Responsibility
Mehrdad almost misses the school bus once a week or leaves home without breakfast. Most of the time, he forgets some of his materials and homework in the mornings because he doesn’t organize his daily schedule the night before. Despite his dad spending a lot on the school bus, he has to drive him to school personally at least once or twice a week. All of these issues have led Mehrdad to constantly face his parents’ criticism, but apparently, he doesn’t want to change his behavior…
These are some common complaints from parents who have school-aged children.
Punishment or Logical Consequences?
To properly address these kinds of issues and frequent disorganization, the best approach might be to ensure that children recognize the logical outcomes of their behavior. Follow these steps to ensure that your response to your child is not punishment but based on the “logical consequence” method:
– Give your child choices and accept their decisions.
– Make sure your tone is friendly and shows your good intentions.
– Ensure the consequence is logically related to the misbehavior.
Several Methods to Raise Child’s Responsibility
What can Mehrdad’s mother do?
Now, Mehrdad’s mother should seriously consider the following tips:
Give your child an alarm clock and teach them how to use it. Tell them you expect them to be responsible for waking up, getting dressed, having breakfast, and going to school from now on.
Prepare your child’s breakfast, but it’s up to them to decide whether they want to eat it or not. If they don’t have time for breakfast, let them feel the natural consequence of hunger so they can plan better next time. If they are late for school, let them experience the consequences of that, and of course, coordinate with school officials beforehand so they can respond appropriately and cooperate.
No Personal Car!
If the school is far away, let them walk, but do not drive them in a personal car. Instead, use public transport like buses or subways but avoid personal vehicles because undoubtedly, it’s easier than the school bus.
If the school route is too long, or your living conditions don’t allow you to drive them, or if it’s impossible to take your child at all, let your child stay home but explain to them that kids can only stay home when they’re sick. Treat them like someone who is sick; for example, don’t let them get out of bed or allow them to watch TV, play with friends, or any enjoyable activities. Don’t engage with them as if they were at school. Until the usual time of their return from school, don’t interact with them. If your child is old enough, leave them at home while you go shopping or visiting neighbors.
Explanation
Finally, if you take responsibility for your child’s regular routine, they won’t learn to take responsibility and will always expect it from others. In this small organization, the duties of each individual must be clear, and it must be managed with a defined system. We believe that being effective parents is one of their most important duties in life, and it’s also one of the most challenging.
Strategies for Raising Child’s Responsibility
Nurturing Child’s ResponsibilityWith Three Simple Strategies
Assign Small Tasks to Them
When children take on simple tasks, they feel like they’re contributing to something valuable for the family. It’s best to create a responsibility chart. If the child is young, use pictures instead of words in this chart. This chart can include small responsibilities like turning off unnecessary lights or locking doors or picking up papers off the floor. Just let them do these tasks and be patient as they work towards this goal. Keep in mind that as the number of tasks increases, they also need encouragement.
Let Them Achieve What They Want
If your child wants an expensive gift, the best approach is to ask them to earn half of the money for that gift themselves, and help them use their skills. During this time, you can pay them for some chore tasks at home. For example, if they help planting flowers in the garden or washing dishes, consider paying them a certain amount. This is the best trade for instilling a sense of responsibility in them.
Teach Children to Accept Their Mistakes
If your children make a mistake, don’t scare them or just overlook it. Accepting mistakes is one of the best lessons in life. It makes you accountable for everything you do.
