7 Tips To Teach Your Child To Be Responsible

It is disturbing to watch irresponsible adults taking rash decisions and doing things that lack a sense of responsibility. Often our actions as adults are rooted to our upbringing as a child. When a baby is born, his or her actions are dominated by the immediate urge to gratify. However, as kids grow up, they learn to interact with the real world and begin to understand how things work in reality. There are several qualities that one needs to imbibe in their personality, in order to become a good human being. If a child is not taught to be responsible, it may affect the personality at a later stage in life. Therefore, as the child's first teacher, it is the mother's responsibility or task to imbibe a sense of responsibility in your kid. The going may become difficult at times when the child refuses to execute her day-to-day tasks responsibly. But it should not become a cause of worry for you. Children learn with time, example and a little support. So here are some simple tips to teach your child to be more responsible.

1. Respect Your Child

Children are often treated as dependent beings and are not respected as individuals. This makes the child feel rebellious and they often refuse to perform their duties as expected to. The rule of thumb for making your child more responsible is to treat them with respect. Acknowledge the fact that they are individuals with a mind of their own, no matter how young they are. Ask for their opinion. Listen to them. Respond to them with respect. Do not try to bully them or command them to do things. When you as parents treat them with respect, they will value your instructions and feel a sense of responsibility to carry out the task assigned to them.

2. Delegate Specific Chores

If you want to make your kids responsible, start off by giving them little tasks that they need to do routinely. For example, let them fill the water bottles before dinner and bring them to the dining table. Or you could give them the responsibility of laying the table with plates and the necessary cutleries required for dinner. You could make them responsible for making their own beds and arranging their little sibling's bed as well. This will make them feel important which will lead to a sense of responsibility.

3. Tell Them Moral Stories

Since time immemorial, folklores and ancient children's stories abound in moral tales. From Aesop's fables to Arabian Nights, Jataka to Panchatantra, we have a treasure trove of stories that will teach your child the attributes of responsibility without boring them. Stories are a wonderful tool to help the little minds grasp the importance of being accountable for one's own actions and be responsible in the execution of their work.

4. Appreciate & Rebuke When Needed

Humans thrive on appreciation. When your child is doing a good job on the work assigned to him or her, appreciate the effort and encourage them to be more responsible. But avoid over doing it. Children should not feel they are doing a favor to you by being responsible. It should gradually become a part of their lives – to be responsible. Also, do not punish your child if something goes wrong. This will make them feel dependent on you to do things correctly. Instead, explain why it is not right to do it a certain way and what are the consequences of not doing something responsibly. When you explain things clearly, children understand better and feel respected.

5. Use Positive Language

Instead of harping on what your child has done wrong, try to emphasize the things done right. And then ask him or her how the other things can be done better. For example, if your child spills water while filling up the bottles, don't say "Why did you spill it? Don't you know how to do it?" Instead ask, "Oh nice you filled the bottle. But there is some spilled water and someone may slip and fall. How can we clean it up? Why don't you run and get a mop so that the place can be dry."

6. Understand Your Child's Strength

While trying to make your children responsible, start by giving them work that they have a keen interest in. For example, if your kids love outdoor activities, let them be accountable for keeping the lawn clean by removing dry leaves. If your child has a thing for the kitchen, let him or her help you with the garnishing, or clearing the dishes. If your child loves books, makes sure he or she arranges the bookshelf once every week. Gradually give them more responsibilities that are not within your areas of interest, and you will be surprised to see how children master the art of responsibility.

7. Teach By Example

You can never expect your child to be responsible if you do not lead by example. So it is very important for parents to demonstrate responsible behaviour in front of your children to help them learn to be more responsible. Keep to your words when you promise the little ones something. Honouring your words will set the right example for your children.

Responsible individuals go a long way in dealing with problems and emerge as successful adults. Start early and set your little ones on their path to success by imbibing the virtue of responsibility.
Happy parenting!

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Contributed By: Kriti Mazumdar