Teaching Children Responsibility

Good Job  !!

Teaching Children Responsibility  by Laurie Moulton

When my children were able to assume some responsibility (around age 3), I started adding in some basic chores like picking up your toys and putting them in the toy box.

As they grew, the more chores were added, and distributed amongst them, as they were able.  Being a single parent and working full-time, everyone had to pull their own weight.

For completing their assigned chores, they were given a weekly allowance (as in the real world, you work a job and you get paid for it).

As they got older, they could choose to save or spend their money. If they didn’t have enough money for what they wanted (and the request was reasonable, like some extra money to go see a movie or go shopping with a friend, or to buy a special item ), then they could ask for a loan; however, also, as in real life, the loan had to be paid back with interest—generally at 2%. If the loan was not paid on time, then items were repossessed until the loan was paid off.

I repossessed stereos, video games, CD’s, and at one time, a cell phone. My kids were angry that things were taken away, but they learned a very valuable lesson. This is how the real world works.

Now, as adults, they know how to live within their means and make wise monetary decisions. They all have great credit, and none of them has dug themselves into an extreme debt situation or had anything repossessed or foreclosed.

Yes, different circumstances and hard times befall many people, and there are things beyond our control like company layoffs, company closures, large-ticket items like cars and appliances that at times need repair, or a sudden illness, but this is why we live within our means and save what we can, so we are prepared when these things occur.

We don’t NEED flashy materialistic things that are the newest in fashion, technology, vehicles, or what have you. We need to be practical and buy that which we need to meet our needs.

It’s okay to treat yourself to something nice every once in a while, but spending beyond your means to obtain it, creates a deep and difficult hole that is very tough to climb out of.

       Sorry to say, I have witnessed this with way too many people.