Being Responsible

One of the first things parents want to teach their children is to take care of what is theirs, their toys, their home, their stationery. A child’s first experience with colour is of course what is in their environment. Small children have big bold blocks, toys, colouring books, colouring pens, wax crayons, play dough and various types of paper and board. Older children have access to felt tip pens, a vast collection of coloured pencils, paints and other implements of creativity. Even young adults tend to carry massive stationery bags because they always feel the need to highlight or bring attention to something important. 

As parents we want our children to see what their things are and of course, take care of what was given to them. This is where a sense of responsibility and pride comes into play, by leading as their examples we show them how to take care of their stuff. We show them how to mark their stationery, how to pack things away so that these things are easily found the next time they need them. They are taught how to collect as well as return what is to be used for the day. When they are done producing whatever it is they were driven to create, their artworks get put up all over the house, because as parents want our children to see how proud of them we are. 

These seemingly mundane daily practices of taking care of your stuff and being respectful of other people’s stuff become a lifelong habit. The more “grown-up” a small child feels because of their sense of responsibility and pride, the easier it becomes for them to use these newly gained skills in all parts of their lives, from their bedrooms to the classroom and everything in between.