Best Way to Teach Children Responsibility

Part of growing up involves learning about responsibility for others, about caring for others, and about considering the feelings of others. Although your child doesn’t start of with a sense of responsibility, this will develop gradually during the preschool years, with your help. You can do a lot to encourage responsibility in these formative years.

Consider the following three main strategies: First, set an example. Young children learn best by imitating their parents and, to a lesser extent, by imitating siblings. This is particularly true for a toddler around the age of two years. Demonstrating basic acts of responsibility at home (such as pouring your child a drink of juice, helping him tidy his toys) show your child how to behave responsibly. And the effect of these demonstrations is increased by telling your child what you are doing (“I’m tidying your toys for you because that helps you keep your room nice.”). The more you and your children behave in a caring way toward each other, the more responsible they will become.

Second, explain why responsibility matters. If possible, try to tell your child the significance of responsible behavior. Use words that he can understand, and point out that acting respon­sibly benefits everyone. For instance, remind your child that if he helps his siblings, they are likely to help him when he needs their support. Persist with these explanations, even though your child may seem disinterested or unconvinced. He’ll eventually grasp the reciprocal nature of these sorts of actions.

And third, give your child tasks that involve responsibility. A toddler can carry out a simple household chore (such as putting a piece of paper in the wastebasket), and an older child can carry out a more-complex chore (such as setting the table for the evening meal). The act of behaving responsibly is a very powerful form of learning how to be responsible. You may want to establish a small list of minor chores for your children to fol­low on a reasonably regular basis.

Keeping a pet is another way to teach the concept of caring. Small pets, such as a hamster or gerbil, can be looked after by a young child (under supervision), and this helps your child develop the concept of social and personal responsibility.