Responsibility will surely be a recurring theme in your kids’ lives, so it’s a value that’s worth teaching early! Today's activity is to think about giving your kids some simple chores, if you haven't already.
Things like putting away their laundry, feeding the family dog, taking out the trash, helping to bring in the groceries, etc. Encourage them to start working when they’re old enough and always remind them that in order to earn a good living, they’ll have to be responsible and work really hard. Money doesn’t grow on trees, right?!
What kinds of things do your kids help out with around the house? How do you talk to your kids about responsibilities?
If you missed yesterday's activity, you can find it here. If you want to sign up for the Family Values Challenge, you can do so here.
My daughter always helped around the house and now my grandson's are doing the same.
Each of my kids have their own chores that they do on a regular basis. They have to keep their room clean. Put their dirty laundry down the laundry chute. They also have to help keep their bathroom clean (wiping the sink, wiping the outside of the toilets, and running a small vacuum on the floor occasionally). My oldest DD also has a cat, so she is in charge of feeding, watering, and scooping the litter box.
My kids have chores around the house and they help with yard work in the summer months. I've always made sure they know that they have to take responsibility and help out if they want to be able to do fun things.
I don't believe that assigning chores to children teaches them responsibility --nor is it actually intended to. It's intended to teach obedience (which is kind of the inside out of responsibility) or cooperation (which is only cooperation if they agree...)
My kids did everything around the house, off and on, now and then. When it was obvious and necessary or they felt like it. Which was astonishingly often, frankly.
They were, otoh, completely and utterly responsible for their own stuff: getting to their activities on time, having what they needed with them, the condition of the stuff and its care. I've often been asked how I managed that, and I have no answer: they did it. I didn't, not even with reminders or lists or anything.
I think kids want to be responsible, they just have precious little opportunity, with other people arranging their schedules and activities and choices at them the whole time...
I make our nephews pick up their room and toys and their dirty clothes. I make my son help pick up his toys and put stuff in the sink or garbage for me.
We explained that everyone in the household shares the chores as well as the benefits- food, clothing, TV, etc.
What do you do with
Is it ok to kill the first? :)
- Cafe Kristin
on Jan. 23, 2012 at 12:17 PM