Kids and Responsibility

Kids and Responsibility
Well Monicka landed safely here in the UK today and I am thrilled to be with her again - it has been 11 months since we were last together, although we speak on the phone or computer nearly every day.
When she called her children back home to say goodnight I was delighted to hear that her 11 year old son had made his own lunch ready for school the next morning!
As Monicka admitted, she does too much for him (not to mention the rest of the family) and being away for a while hopefully will help her realize that her children are very capable of rising to the responsibility of taking care of themselves to some extent. We all need a parent to fall back on, but learning that we can also stand on our own two feet is what growing up is all about...!

Happy parenting,

Cassie

Chores and PreTeens

At pre-teen age, chores and other responsibilities can play a powerful role in helping children to develop age-appropriate independence.

Some ideas to encourage the learning of responsibility and independence for 10-14 year olds:

* Have a list of family chores and have each member of the family responsible for certain chores. Rotate them to keep it interesting and to help your child develop new skills.

* Some things that your child should be learning to do for himself during this period: shower and other grooming tasks without being reminded or monitored; sort and choose school clothes; make his own school lunch; get ready for bed at the appropriate time without reminders.

* Encourage your child to be responsible for managing homework assignments and projects without your supervision. It's a good idea for privileges to be linked to responsible self-management of homework.

* Have very clear rules about when your child is expected to be home, and teach him that he is responsible for ensuring that you know where he is at all times.

* Allow your child to manage his own spending - i.e. his allowance, and for older children perhaps some other responsibilities like clothing budget.

Happy parenting,

Cassie

Money management for kids

Hello all parents,

With the start of the new school year comes the opportunity to give your growing child new responsibilities. Learning to handle money is a very important lesson, and if this is something your children are ready to start getting some experience with, you may be interested in some of the resources on the kids goals website:

An introductory worksheet on Money management for kids
Money management for kids article
Chores and allowances article

Happy parenting,

Cassie