Give them responsibilities.

Not everybody is born responsible. People feel responsible for something due to a number of factors. That sense of responsibility comes due to having to be in charge of things, sometimes brought on by circumstance beyond our control. However not everything is not within our control. Training children is within parents' if not other adults' control.

Some children mature earlier as a result of being the first child in the family. Being the first child, he or she may have to be in charge of the other younger siblings. When parents are too busy, they place the eldest in charge and expect that one to look after the others, being scolded or punished when things go wrong. Of course, it could also go the other way with the eldest rebelling against having to be responsible for the others. But, more often than not, they realise the job had to be done and he is the chosen one.

Being chosen to be responsible does not merely involve looking after siblings but also preparing food and keeping the place or home tidy if both parents need to work to get more income and someone else have to look into meals for the others as well as the parents when they return. Sometimes circumstances are such that that is the only alternative for the family to survive. That type of responsibility leaves a permanent imprint on the young mind and that child benefits not only as being more responsible but also better management with time as well as money for such a child has to mange with a minimum sum of money and time not just for home but also for schooling.

However, such teaching methods are not available to everyone as the rich or well-to-do would never have to go through such experience or learning as it is certainly not neccessary. However, that does not mean that a child from a rich family is deprived of the opportunity to be responsible. Here, the parents have to play the part of early teachers by letting children be responsible for their own things such as their toys and later their books. Getting children to keep their toys and be rewarded with something the child likes is one of the first step towards responsibility for his or her own things. Even though the child may have a maid to do it for him or her, get the child to do it as a lesson towards better responsibility.

Then, when the children have books of their own, get the children to keep the books in their proper place even though they cannot do it neatly. Parents ought not to use the excuse that the child cannot put the books back neatly to get the maid or themselves to do it. And if the first few tries, parents cannot get the child to do it, the parent should use every opportunity available to encourage the child to be responsible with his/her things. After all, as most parents would have realised, they have to go back again and again to the same exercises in responsibility as long as the child is still with them even to the stage passed his/her teens. Never should the parent have to say 'How many times have I told you to.........'. So what? Has the job been completed satisfactorily. Is it right to give up on a child you so love? His/Her future depends upon you and your teaching him/her the right way to do things.

Is it too difficult to give them the chance to practise responsibility. You know, even teachers have sometimes tried to help children be more responsible. Let me tell you a true story.

There was this boy who would quarrel and make noise in class most of the time. Apparently, his behaviour developed from his home environment, with member of the family quarrelsome and noisy. The class teacher knew of his behaviour and felt desperate about having such well-known problem kid in her class. Knowing that this problem child rebelled against authorities, prefect and monitors, she decided that she had to try to change the child's behaviour. So, after the first day, she called the child to the teachers' common-room where the teacher had a talk with the child, asking him whether what he had heard about him was true. Of course, he denied its truth and said that the others were not fair to him and demanded to know why others should try and blacklist him like that. At that the teacher told him she was giving him a chance to be responsible to himself and show the others that he was not exactly what they claimed he was. So, one way to prove to the world that he was not only good but responsible as well was to become her class monitor. The teacher solemnly told him she was putting herself in a position which could bring all kinds of accusations if he does not prove to be the good guy he was. With that he was made the class-monitor. You know, with his reputation, few of the children wanted any problems with him, so they were well behaved. And perhaps realising that his position in class give him a kind of prestige, he did it well, changing his image as the days, weeks and months went by. It could be gratefulness on his part to the teacher who gave him the opportunity to change and be more responsible or it could be, he had always known that quarrelsome and noisy had not done nim any good and when the chance to change came, he grabbed it and made full use of it. Whatever it is, if teachers can care enough for a child every detested, why can't parents do a more sustaining job and try till death do they part.

After all the child is brought into this world by us. If there is love for that child then we must do our utmost to ensure he has the best chance possible at life.