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For parents, there are endless traits that they wish to see their child develop. Every parent's goal is to raise a child that is intelligent, thoughtful, caring, fun, successful, and responsible. While we tend to think that those first five traits can be reached through education and basic family morals and values, raising a responsible child does not have a straightforward blueprint to follow.
Teaching children how to be responsible from a very young age is imperative. It will aid them in developing positive traits once they reach high school, where irresponsibility is most tempting, and it will turn them into adults that you can not only trust, but be truly proud of.
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So how do you raise responsible children? There are many different things you can do, but the biggest key is to start at a young age. If you try to instill responsibility at an older age, it becomes a chore to children; if you start in pre-school and elementary school, they grow to understand why responsibility is so vital. Here are some of the best tips for raising a responsible child.
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LEAVE THEM IN GOOD HANDS
Most parents wish that they could be taking care of their children 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Unfortunately, this is not feasible. While children are every parent's top priority, there are other priorities, such as work, that mean you can't always be with your child. The key is to use this time to further teach responsibility. A great child care center, preschool program, or after-school care center can really help your child learn about responsibility. These schools not only teach responsibility, but they offer an opportunity to put what they have learned in practice through socialization with other children. Hiring a babysitter who you not only trust, but can help teach values and responsibility is another key.
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GIVE THEM RESPONSIBILITIES EARLY ON
Learning responsibility comes from practicing responsibility. Give your children specific everyday jobs, like feeding the cat, taking out the trash, or setting the table before dinner. When they do their chores, they'll see how it makes them feel and how it helps the family. They will subconsciously begin to understand the importance of being a responsible person.
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AVOID EXTREME REWARD OR PUNISHMENTA truly responsible person is responsible because they care about themselves and the people around them, and it is the right thing to do. That's why it is important to be very careful how you reward your children for being responsible, and how you discipline them for being irresponsible.
Giving your child a candy bar every time they do their chores or their homework may give them an ulterior motive to do what is expected. Rather than learning to be responsible for responsibility's sake, they'll learn to be responsible to get what they want. Similarly, do not be too hard on your children when they do not act responsibly; this will make responsibility feel like a chore or a hindrance.
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BE HONEST WITH THEMThe best way to show children the importance of responsibility is to be honest with them in both good times and bad. When they've been responsible, tell them how it impacted you. If they set the table, tell them that it made your night easier. If they failed to set the table, explain to them how it affected you and your ability to finish making dinner on time.
Showing your children the real life implications of both their responsible and irresponsible actions is a great way for them to learn the true importance of acting responsibly.
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GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO CARE FOREven in the most responsible of adults, a large percentage of responsibility is driven by love and caring. Because of this, you can instill a lot of responsibility in a young child by giving them something to care about or love, and allow them to be primarily responsible. A pet is possibly the best way to teach responsibility to children. This is a big responsibility and impacts both of you, therefore, if you are not ready for a pet, you can use a plant or a toy that requires maintenance. This will teach children to want to be responsible.
Raising responsible children does not have to be a big task. Apply some of these tips and you'll raise some wonderfully, responsible kids.
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