How to teach a child responsibility and respect?

Today we will talk about how to teach a child responsibility and respect. Because these personality traits help us achieve significant results in life. Children at a young age are not yet capable of doing complex things on their own. But they can already help you in something. Thus, developing your responsibility. For example, helping you clean the house or shopping for groceries.

But already at this stage, you need to make the child more independent, and teach him to make his own decisions. You can encourage him by setting tasks that you know he is capable of doing. This will make it much easier for you to teach your child responsibility. This will give him the understanding that he may already be taking on a little responsibility. And prepare him for big responsibilities in the future.

In parallel with fostering responsibility, you need to teach children to be respectful to other people. Respect is a consideration of a person’s interests, opinions and desires. It manifests itself during interaction and communication between people. You need to teach your child kindness, showing love and concern for him. Hugs, kisses and gifts – indicate that you really love him. All this leads to the fact that the child feels self-esteem. As a result, it helps him develop respect and responsibility.

Start teaching your child responsibility at a very early age

Teaching kids seems like an endless task. But if you think about the end result, the understanding that you can raise a responsible and respectful person gives strength and motivation to work. Moreover, there is no greater blessing that parents can give their children than to prepare them for adulthood. Responsibility and respect are two sides of the same coin. And it is almost impossible to teach a child responsibility without respectful attitude towards other people.

In fact, children are wonderful helpers. They love to help their parents. But they need a personal meeting with their parents on a daily basis. Therefore, joint housework gives the baby a sense of importance and responsibility in his own environment. When you help him make the bed, pack his clothes, clean the room, and so on. You develop the understanding that order is an integral part of life. When you help brush your teeth, comb your hair and swim. You increase your self-esteem and belonging.

How to teach a child responsibility?

First, start giving tasks that are appropriate for his age. Think about what your child can do without too much difficulty? Give him clear instructions on what you want him to do. So that he knows exactly what is expected of him. Providing your child with chores that are challenging but achievable for their age will increase their sense of independence and self-confidence.

1. Show and tell

When you give your child some kind of work, then explain in simple words what he needs to do. For example, if you ask him to set the table, then say, “Look how I put one plate on the table in front of one chair.” If you take too much time to show how and what to do. Then it may seem too difficult for his young age. Therefore, explain everything in simple terms. Or you can make him responsible for simple tasks. For example, for distributing spoons. Just be sure to avoid threats. Make it clear to the child that he has to follow certain rules. But explain them in a positive way, without threats or ultimatums.

2. Work, then play

While your child still has little attention, you need to develop the habit of doing household chores first before resting or having fun. You can tell him something like: “Yes, we will definitely go to the site, but first we need to clean the kitchen.” Just show that you do not want to establish authority over him. You just want to make him more responsible. A good way to explain this to your child is to use the “when” rule. For example, you might say, “When we clear the table, we can go outside to play.” It is important to use the word “when”, not “if”. Because the word “when” implies that you will definitely go to play only after the child completes the task.

3. Make Housework Fun

We all like to complete assignments more when they are more fun. Your child will be happy to help you when the work does not seem boring to him. For example, if you are cleaning toys in a room, then run a competition with a reward who will collect the most toys in the basket.

4. Set a good example

The next step in teaching a child responsibility is to become his own example. Show him what the responsibility is by your own actions. For example, put your car keys on the hook where they should be. Or, remove clothes from the floor in your bedroom. In doing so, explain why you are doing this. So that the child understands why it is important to do everything right. For example: “I’m going to put the car keys in the right place. So that I can easily find them again next time. ”

5. Show praise

Praise him for even minor results – here’s how to teach your child responsibility. Whenever your child tries to act responsibly, even if he fails, give him attention and praise. This shows the child that their efforts are important and appreciated. In doing so, be as specific as possible. For example, you might say, “You have laid out the plates on the table so well that I have nothing else to do here.” In addition, point out exactly how his efforts helped the others: “Now that you have laid out the plates for everyone, we can start eating.”

6. Be realistic

Even if your child doesn’t always put shoes at the front door, or puts toys back in their box, don’t yell at them. If he’s out of sorts, just calmly tell him, “Remember to put your toys away when you’re done playing with them.” If he is very tired, for example, after a day in kindergarten. Then give him additional help and support. He probably spent the whole day following certain rules in the garden. And now he wants to rest a little while he is at home.

Teach Respect by Example

As a child grows older, he begins to notice other people’s attitudes. These can be his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Or other people who have close family relationships. Therefore, the adults who surround the child must first of all show respect. Kids should see and hear your respect for each other. After all, as we understood, they learn everything from examples. It should also be remembered that changes are inevitable in the lives of children. Whether it’s moving to a new place, different neighbors, a new school, and so on. In this case, talking about changes in advance helps the baby understand what to expect in life. Children learn quickly enough. And they will show more respect for parents and other people when they see your attention.