As children attend preschool, they discover things about them and others that they normally would not had they simply stayed home. Along with these discoveries come a deeper awareness of themselves in relation with their surroundings – their classmates, playmates, and ultimately, their family.
Values, skills, and new experiences gained and learned in preschool should logically follow and reflect on kids’ behavior at home. One of the more efficient ways to measure how much a child grows – how much he or she is able to utilize the abstract theories and ideas from preschool into concrete action elsewhere – is through their willingness to take part in household chores.
Sense of responsibility differs from child to child, but for preschool children, this becomes a necessary virtue to possess if one is to gauge how effective preschool education is.
To know whether your preschool children are ready to take on more responsibilities at home, start giving them some. Remember to take it slowly, observing how they react to the proposal and carry out the task itself. Preschool children, unlike toddlers, must be able to control urges to play everytime and learn to prioritize that which is required of them.
Making their own bed in the morning upon waking up is a good starting point for preschool children. Constantly remind them of this responsibility until they don’t need any more prodding from you. That’s where you can proceed to other, bigger tasks – such as tidying up their own rooms, helping clean the house, or taking care of the pet’s needs. Getting a pet for your preschool kids may be a good idea, as this instills responsibility in most children, because that way, they become parents themselves, ensuring their pet is taken care of properly.
How do you get children to love these tasks?
The dilemma remains: how are parents going to make their preschool children appreciate these little tasks so the family efficiently prevents useless squabbles with children over whose responsibility cleaning their room was? A positive reward system can be one. Since preschool children are still at a very playful stage, teach them responsibility with a bit of fun. Reward their efforts with small things or acts that will show them you appreciate what they do. Likewise, exercise maximum tolerance with their shortcomings; be watchful of their actions and guide them along the way instead. Constructive criticism that is imbued with patience goes a long way into teaching these children the value of responsibility and sharing at home as well as in preschool. As a parent, be the embodiment of the sense of responsibility you want to instill in your children.
