How To Build Responsibility In Your Child
Have your first grader be responsible for carrying his/her own backpack to and from school.
Have your first grader be responsible for getting their binder out of their backpack and bringing them to you. Then have them return them to the backpack. We talk about how the binders/books/homework are their responsibility, not 'mom's' or 'dad's'. As teachers, we often hear, "my Mom/Dad didn't put it in my backpack." Helping your student by asking them to do this task may be needed as a reminder.
Have your first grader be responsible for their 'guided reader books.' He/she needs to get them to read and return them to their binder for safe keeping.
It is always your child's responsibility to write their name on their paper and complete the writing on their homework assignment.
Praise your child when she/he demonstrates good character choices: respect, trustworthy, fairness, caring, responsible, citizenship.
Raising a responsible child takes time and patience.
It may seem easier to do it yourself, but your child needs to build their responsibility skills over time.
Through responsibility steps at each grade level, you will build confidence and independence in your student.
Your time spent working on responsibility in elementary school will pay off when your child arrives in middle school.
