RESPONSIBILITY
Doing What's Right
A Special Place - Younger
*Study Skills
*Creating/Writing for a Purpose
*Remembering Details
Here's a responsibility builder for the early school
years. It calls for setting up a special home-school
box to help children keep track of their belongings.
Children generally come into the house and toss their
school things every which way. In the morning, with
everyone rushing off to jobs and to school, these
things are hard to find. You can hear your child now:
"I can't find them anywhere." ("Them"
can be anything from mittens to pencils.) And hear
yourself saying loudly, "Well, keep looking until
you do."
You need a cardboard box big enough to hold supplies
and some clothing. Add some magazine pictures, markers,
glue and scissors, and you're ready to make a Special
Place. Children decorate these boxes with pictures,
words, artwork, and their own names in big, bold letters.
This box goes near the front door or in your child's
room. When your child comes home, the box is the first
stop for school items, hat, toys, glasses. It is the
last stop on the way out the door in the morning.
Finished homework and supplies needed for school are
put in the box at night, ready for the next day.
As a reward for your child using the box, put in
a note every few days, praising your child's sense
of responsibility: "Hi! This is terrific. Love,
Dad." See you at six P.M. to go tot he game.
Love, Mom." At the very least, children now know
where their things ought to be. Moreover, the box
cuts down on family nagging in the morning. If a little
box can help do that, it's got to be worth trying.
P.S. Older youngsters, even parents, can use their
very own boxes. I've got one near my front door for
my glasses and car keys. It's invaluable on mornings
when my head is in four places at once.
Promises! Promises! - Older
*Thinking
*Sharing Opinions
*Evaluating Information
When asked to a task, children often make promises.
They may not fully realize what keeping these promises
involves. Their intentions are sincere. They want
to please. Here's a way to get children talking about
promises and consequences. All you need are thinking
minds.
Talk about what happens when people don't do the
things they are responsible for. Examples: Plants
that don't get watered wilt. Animals (and children)
that don't get fed whine. Garbage that isn't taken
out smells.
Ask children to think what would happen if parents
decided they didn't want to shop or cook meals, if
the bus driver stayed home, if the movie projectionist
didn't show up for work. Should people do only tasks
they like?
Discuss the effects on others when tasks are not
done. Is it fair? Is it responsible? Is that why carrying
out promises is so important?
