Children are capable of acquiring extensive and diverse skills and information even before they start school. Along with cognitive school readiness skills, such as color recognition, counting, and language and literacy skills, it is also very important that pre-school age children develop social-emotional skills in order to be successful in school. These include interacting appropriately with other children and adults, self control, sharing, taking turns, and responding appropriately in a range of social situations. The early years are, therefore, an ideal time for parents and caregivers to begin teaching children personal responsibility in age-appropriate ways.
Small tasks such as clearing a table that was set with unbreakable dishes and plastic cups, cleaning up after play, helping to care for pets, helping to sort and carry laundry, and recycling and throwing away trash are wonderful ways to introduce responsibility. Personal hygiene activities can also become “responsibilities” children learn to do themselves, so that children begin to understand that they are responsible for helping to keep their home, school, and selves clean. Any responsibilities should be introduced gradually and carefully depending on the child’s maturity level and temperament.
Incentives are one of the most effective ways to teach children responsibility because they allow children to associate such tasks with a concrete reward. A healthy treat or stickers are affordable and easy rewards. A chore chart can be used to help children see
their accomplishments. Songs and games are also useful tools because they make chores fun and facilitate memory retention.
Girls and Boys Town offers the following tips for teaching children responsibility: (www.parenting.org)
- Be aware – Know whether your child is developmentally ready to do the task.
- Show and tell – Talk to your child, and show him or her how to do what is expected.
- Be consistent but flexible –Remember: it is your child’s job, not yours, even when you help.
- Show encouragement – Praise your child for attempts, improvements and completion of tasks.
- Break tasks into manageable pieces – Separate a large task into smaller parts based on your child’s ability.
- Be patient – You may have to redo parts of the job until your child gets better at it. However, do not let your child see you redo something he/she has already done!
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Reprinted with the permission of the Parent-Child Home Program, Inc.
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