In order to be a well-adjusted member of society, every child needs to understand the importance of responsibility and their obligations to others. It can be a hard thing to teach; it’s not something that people can learn with a single lecture; learning responsibility comes from constant reinforcement of the idea. Knowing how you can teach your kids responsibility will benefit their emotional growth and help them mature into accountable adults.
Establish Rules and Chores Around the Home
One of the easiest ways to teach your children to be accountable is to put them in charge of specific jobs around the home. Whether that’s taking care of the laundry, cleaning the dishes or cooking themselves or others’ meals, an aspect of the house should fall upon them.
The chores themselves don’t have to be strenuous or difficult to accomplish; they can be daily things they need to do to make sure they live in an organized and clean space. This is a good stepping-stone to teach them that they play a part in the well-being of others and that if they don’t do their part, others will feel the consequences.
Teach Them To Give Back
Doing chores around the home directly benefits your children and everyone else living inside the home, but being responsible means learning how to give without expecting something in return. Taking your children to volunteer demonstrates to them that sometimes, doing their part means there is no direct reward.
Whether it’s donating old clothes, spending time to pack food or picking up roadside trash, they can make a difference to others and the community. It’s essential that your kids internalize their greater responsibility to others, if for no other reason than to make the world a better place for someone else.
Make Them Responsible for a Pet
The ultimate test of a responsible child is to put them in charge of the life of a living creature, making sure they can take care of it without endangering its safety. You may not want to start with a dog or a cat, as they can be very high maintenance and too much for your child. Alternatively, giving them fish can be an ideal start.
Fish require a very regulated tank to survive in, giving your child the opportunity to maintain the delicate ecosystem of the aquarium. Know some kid-friendly fish tanks to make the job easier on them and to maintain a safe environment for the fish.
Never Too Early To Start
The sooner you know how to teach your children responsibility, the earlier they will pick up on the lesson you demonstrate. These are lessons they’ll need to learn to participate in society, and it’s easier for them to learn when they’re younger. Start early and always reinforce the lesson you teach them throughout their lives.