Obligations help children feel useful!

Experts claim that obligations help children feel special and useful.The responsibilities that make a child feel special can be different.

Dec 16, 2021 - 01:42
 0  6
Obligations help children feel useful!

The responsibilities that make a child feel special can be different, and this idea has its basis in science.

A clinical psychologist at the Children's National Health System explained why this is so. Taking on new or useful tasks is an opportunity for praise and helps children feel valued because they contribute.

Besides, learning new tasks and taking responsibility is to build more dexterity in them. This feeling is associated with other positive outcomes in childhood and adolescence, such as academic achievement and the ability to cope with sources of stress.

Here are some of the responsibilities that would be good for children to have, depending on their age:

Caring for pets

Feeding or cleaning around pets are simple tasks that teach children how to take care of other living beings.

"Even taking out the trash, combing the dog's fur and cleaning the hamster's cage can be signs of a child's special responsibility," says Maurin Healy, author of Emotionally Healthy Child.

"When we do not allow children to take responsibility and perform tasks, we inadvertently deprive them of direct experience to experience themselves as capable of performing everything that is on their mind."

Cleaning and tidying

Young children can help clean up their clutter or collect toys.

Asking your child to pick their toys, clear room after playing can instill in them a sense of responsibility for their own actions and personal belongings, which makes the child feel special and mature.

Taking out the garbage

This simple task shows that you trust your child to take responsibility for leaving the house, unsupervised or with you. Maybe it seems funny but you will see their reaction and everything will be cleared.

Caring for younger siblings

Of course, we can't expect a five-year-old to have the same types of abilities and therefore take on the same responsibilities as a 16-year-old brother and sister.

So, both, younger and older children may have some responsibilities when it comes to caring for younger siblings. It only depends on your instructions for them but let them feel useful.

Participation in extracurricular activities

When a child takes responsibility to learn to play a musical instrument or play in a sports team, he realizes that he is acquiring new skills and that others recognize him as an important part of the team or community. Immediately child will feel better and useful.