Parenting Tips
Do Your Children Take Care of Their Belongings?
From The Parents Guide: Solutions to Today's Most Common Behavior Problems
in the Home by Stephen B. McCarney, Ed.D and Angela M. Bauer, M.Ed comes these
tips on helping a child who does not take care of his/her belongings:
- Establish rules for taking care of belongings. These rules should be consistent
and followed by everyone on the home. Talk about the rules often and reward your
child for following the rules.
- Carefully consider your child's age and experience before expecting your child
to take care or his/her belongings alone.
- Act as a model for taking care of belongings by doing so yourself.
- When your child does not take care of his/her belongings, explain exactly
what they did wrong, what should have been done, and why. For example: You are
driving into the driveway and your child's bike is blocking the way. Stop the
car, get out, go to your child and say "You forgot to put your bike in the
garage. You need to move your bike off the driveway and put it in the garage because
it is blocking the driveway."
- Provide your child with a list of his/her belongings and the proper way to
care for them.
- Make certain your child sees the relationship between his/her behavior and
the consequences that follow. (e.g. failing to put belonging in its proper place
may result in it being broken.)
- Allow natural consequences to occur due to your child not caring for his/her
belongings. (e.g. the child's bike being stolen because it was not secured in
the garage overnight.)
- Have your child place a star or check mark beside each belonging for which
he/she takes proper care and allow your child to trade in the stars or check marks
for rewards.
- Set aside time each day for everyone in the home to care for their belongings.
- Make sure that your child can reach the places where belongings should be
stored when not in use.
- Let your child know that belongings not put in their proper places at the
end of the day may be taken away for a period of time due to lack of responsibility.
- Along with directive, provide an incentive statement (e.g. "You may watch
TV after you put your clothes back where they belong.")
- Do not expect your child to pick up toys and games that friends have left
out; encourage the friends to help your child.
- Make certain that the responsibilities given to your child are appropriate
for your child's level of development and ability.
- Make certain to be consistent when expecting your child to pick up toys. Do
not leave the house with toys in the yard one time and expect the toys to be picked
up the next time.
- Provide your child with shelving, containers, organizers, etc. for personal
possessions. Label the storage areas and require your child to keep possessions
organized.
- Discuss your child's responsibilities at the beginning of each day so he/she
knows what is expected.
- Make certain there is a designated place in and around the house for all items.
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