DON'T NEGLECT TO TEACH YOUR CHILDREN RESPONSIBILITY

     http:// www.empoweringparents.com/article/teach-your-child-responsibility-7-tips-to-get-started/?utm_source=Empowering+ is a useful source for you to know how to teach your child responsibility.  This article has been written by James Lehman who has dedicated his life to behaviorally troubled youth. With his wife Janet, he developed a system to help parents called Total Transformation. This article is only one part of their approach, but a valuable one to help parents with this important teaching.
     Attempting to summarize this article, I will only touch on the "7 tips" to familiarize you  with them.  For the Lehmans' entire assistance, please see the website above.
     You must  enforce your children's accountablility for their actions consistently by holding to the consequences for not doing what they are supposed to be doing. Mr. and Mrs. Lehman suggest you start early so your children realize they are an individual who has responsibilities. However, it is never too late for children to learn the relationship between responsibilities, accountability and rewards. Use language that shows your children you recognize their being responsible and set an example that they can recognize. You may need to coach and explain what responsibility is and do so with patience.  You can discuss consequences and rewards with your children as they become old enough to understand, and you may need to do so individually with each of your children. The consequences and rewards might be different for each child and all your children need to understand that also.
     Learning how to be responsible is one of the most important skills kids can learn and being responsible needs to be taught by parents.