The Raising Responsible Children Series of Booklets

The influence of home, specifically parents, on school success cannot be understated. When asked in a recent education leader survey, “What are your greatest frustrations in dealing with parents today?” you and your colleagues said, “Parents who don’t teach children to accept responsibility for their own actions.” “Getting parents to allow their children to take responsibility for their behavior.” “Parents who make excuses for their children and never allow them to accept responsibility for their own actions.” The Raising Responsible Children Series can help you give parents the help they need to build student responsibility and achievement.

Suggestions for use: These booklets can help ALL parents—from preschool to high school—understand why each of the topics identified is so important to school success and how they can provide the support their children need to build responsibility for learning and behavior. Make sure all of your parents have a copy!

Spend Time With Children

In order for children to take on more responsibility, they need confidence in themselves to try and fail that is best built by spending time with parents. Educators have found that there is no substitute. This booklet stresses that time must be spent paying undivided attention to the child, talking, interacting, working together, bonding, developing mutual respect and understanding, and being involved with each other’s lives. Parent must put down the newspaper, turn off the TV and pay attention. The key is that the child needs to perceive that the time and attention is significant, that she is valued and important. When she feels this, she will take on more responsibility with ease. Stock #357A (Spanish #457A).

Use Firm, Fair and Consistent Discipline

The most disciplined children are also the most responsible. Educators work hard teaching discipline along with academics. But, we know parents develop the most effective discipline at home. When parents use firm, fair and consistent discipline, they mean what they say, make sensible decisions, and enforce the rules every time. This booklet explains to parents why developing good discipline is so important. It provides parents with practical ideas for developing and maintaining good discipline with their children. Proper discipline helps parents build responsibility in children and bring out their best at home and at school. Stock #358A (Spanish #458A).

SHOW Children You Love Them

Love is a strong motivator in children that helps build responsibility. Veteran educators believe that the foundation of a child’s school success is the feeling of security, self-worth, self-respect and competence that come from knowing that he is loveable and loved by his parents and others in his family. Children who feel loved want to give 100% of them-selves. That means being more responsible for home and schoolwork, belongings and activities. This booklet explains to parents why it is so important that children of all ages know their parents love them unconditionally. It suggests that parents tell their children they love them often, and discusses meaningful ways parents can show children they are loved. Stock #359A (Spanish #459A).

Teach Children Respect

Respect and Responsibility go hand-in hand. A child who is respectful of others at all times is a child taking responsibility for his behavior. In a recent survey, education leasers were asked what topics were so important to school success that schools should provide information about hem to parents. “Instilling respect for rules, authority, and other people” was the number one response. This booklet explains to parents why student respect is so important in schools today. It pints out that, while schools work hard to teach students respect, parents also have a critical role to play. The booklet gives parents proven ideas they can use to help teach children respect at home, which will build responsibility and success in school and life. Stock #360A (Spanish #460A).

Provide a Structured, Stable Home Life

Experts say a structured home life helps children learn responsibility by experiencing that things work best when everyone pitches in. The structure and stability of the family has changed drastically in a few years. The profound effects of those changes can be seen on children. There are important things parents can do to make sure their children have the learning, growing foundation they need. This booklet details the structure and stability children require and explains why it is so important that parents provide it for their busy parents can use t home to create and maintain structure and stability that will build a strong sense of responsibility in their child. Stock #361A (Spanish #461A).

Teach Children Basic Values

Responsibility is the cornerstone of all family values. A child’s basic values provide the foundation for learning-and nearly everything else a child does. Values control his understanding of right and wrong, his attitude toward work and helping others, his feelings about honesty, and the way he views others different from himself. This booklet suggests that parents consciously decide on important values to teach children using examples of commonly-held core values such as obedience, compassion, fairness, tolerance, responsibility, gratitude, courtesy and diligence. It details effective ideas parents can use to teach these values at home that in turn will build responsibility in their children. Stock #362 (Spanish #462).

Want to see the other booklets? Click here to go to the Booklets menu.

Or click here to see all our products.