RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility is another lesson you can start teaching your children at a very young age. You can start out with very small things, like having them put their toys away after playing with them. If they don't, then don't let them start their next activity until they do. It is not mean to make them make up their bed in the morning, it is teaching them that they have to do their part in your family to make things run smoothly. Even if they don't do a good job, let them do it anyway! I always felt like it was easier to just do things myself because it got done so much faster. Don't make that same mistake.This will give your children self esteem because they are taking responsibility for their own room and their possessions. It teaches them to take care of their toys so that they don't get broken. Another lesson of responsibility is to teach them to save. I always thought it was pointless to make them save ten dollars they got in a birthday card. Let them spend it and get what they want. WRONG. If they get ten dollars, have them save even one or two dollars out of it. It is the ACT of saving that you are teaching them. If it doesn't add up to alot, it doesn't matter. You are putting them in that mind set that you always save a portion of what you earn, regardless of how little it is. They will appreciate the value of money and get a sense of what it feels like to save and watch their money grow. Another lesson you can teach your children is the importance of getting to school and other activities on time. I used to think that if my son or daughter got to school late that it wouldn't really matter because they could make up the work. That is not the point at all! This is the ground work for teaching your children that it is extremely important to be punctual. This will carry over into adulthood, believe me. I wish I had made my kids responsible for getting to school on time everyday, because it would have prepared them more for the real world later on. If your kids sign up for a sport or club, make them follow through on the responsibility of joining. Once they become part of a team, they need to act like they are part of that team. If they want to go to a friend's birthday party instead of going to their club, teach them that they have a responsibility to a whole group of people. If everyone backed out at the last minute, they could have half a team! The importance of following through on their responsibilities are huge. You are forming and shaping your children's future traits, and they need your guidance along the way. When they take a library book out, make sure they know when it is due. If it's late, make them pay the late charge out of their piggy bank. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it isn't! It will mean a whole lot more if the change is coming out of their savings instead of yours. If they promise a friend they will have a play date with them, don't let them change their mind if they find a better offer. They need to learn that their word is very important and want people to believe them when they say something. This is all common sense but it is harder to follow through than not. Start early and it will get easier as they get older, because they will know the right thing to do.