Tuesday, February 7, 2012
5 Helpful Tips to Rearing Responsible Children! Ascending Butterfly's Kids Corner Guest Post by @kiddieacademy
Ascending Butterfly's Kids Corner, Guest Article Contributed by the experts at Kiddie Academy
When you're making your children's meals, doing their laundry and helping them get dressed in the morning, do you ever stop and think: How will my children ever become responsible, self-sufficient adults? It—a sense of responsibility, that is—happens to most everybody, eventually. As a parent, you can assist in your child’s long road to independence.
Here are some ways how:
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Refrain from doing everything for your child. Yes it's quicker and often easier to do it your self, but at some point it's time to let her do things on her own. Start small, let her know you're there for support, and ready to assist—especially if frustration sets in. Gradually, you'll witness an increasingly independent and responsible child.
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Involve children in care of pets. Lots of children share a special bond with their pets, so it follows that they might be more willing to take on responsibility that involves their care—feeding the cat, for instance—than, say, taking out the trash. So when you're getting your child started on the road to responsibility, think about chores that connect to his pets or other passions.
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Equate responsibility with being “grown up.” Rather than presenting the act of cleaning up toys, putting clothes in drawers and helping around the house in other ways as chores, frame the tasks in a way that makes your child feel like a “big kid.” This tactic can be particularly effective if the child has a younger sibling and likes to be recognized for being able to do things that the younger sibling isn't “big enough to do yet.”
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Practice what you preach. When your child sees you hang up your coat every day, it will feel natural for her to do it too. The same goes for putting dirty dishes in the sink and replacing the cap on the toothpaste. Lead by example.
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Read about it. Reading about other kids who act responsibility can reinforce the lesson you’re trying to instill in your own child. These are a few book choices that illustrate the importance of responsibility: Caring for My Things, by Jane Moncure; I Have a Pet, by Shari Halpern; and The Shepard Boy, by Kristine Franklin.
Do you have additional tips to share? How do you foster your child's independence while helping them to be more responsible?
˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙
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