Responsibility is one of those words that every parent knows all too well. As a mother or father, you have a lot of obligations and tasks to attend to each day. You realize that your children are growing up and also need to learn more about taking charge.

While you want to help them succeed, you know it’s not healthy to do it all for them. There comes a time when they must learn for themselves how to survive in a chaotic world. There’s no magic formula, so it’s up to you to educate yourself on best practices. See keys to teaching your children responsibility.

Start Young

Don’t be afraid to start teaching your children responsibility at a young age. Ask them to make their bed, pick up their toys and soon they’ll be making lunch for themselves. Begin helping them to stand on their own two feet from a very young age. They’ll thank you for it later in life when they can function on their own and know what to do to take care of themselves. Springing this idea on your child when they’re in high school will be difficult, and you’ll regret not guiding them earlier on.

Delegate Tasks

Have your children help you with certain duties, but then start delegating tasks as they age. Assign them chores and have them help out with the dog. For example, have your children help you apply Pet Lock best flea control for dogs and explain why it’s so important for their health. Show them where the food is and how much to feed the pet each day. Let them own specific chores around the house that make them feel good about themselves and happy to have helped you out.

Praise them

Remember to continue to praise your children and tell them what a great job they’re doing. They won’t know it unless you verbally express it to them. Pat them on the back when you see your kids following through on a task and completing chores you didn’t even ask them to do. Reward them by letting them help you with bigger and more adult responsibilities that they’ll feel special collaborating with you on. Pay attention to what they’re doing around the house and have a conversation with them about how proud you are, instead of assigning your children tasks and brushing them off.

Practice Patience

Teaching your kids responsibility is a process. It’s not going to happen overnight and won’t necessarily catch on right away. Be patient with your children and let them make mistakes. Be there to model good behavior and invite them to try again without judgment. Teach and guide them to success by keeping calm and showing them what they’ve done wrong. You want your kids to come to you with questions, instead of hiding mishaps from you.

Conclusion

Teaching your children responsibility isn’t an easy task. Do your best and give you and your kids a break when it doesn’t go as planned. These are keys to teaching your children responsibility.