As a parent,it might be difficult to know how to teach your children to appreciate their belongings. Children in the 80s and 90s had a radically different life as compared with children nowadays. Parenting has transformed, and many parents might be having a difficult time teaching important life values to their children.
In today’s contemporary world, it is important for parents to consider teaching values to their children as well as educating them about the worth of little things in life,in order to make them valuable members of society. Here are some ways by which parents can make kids realize the value of things in modern times.
1. Start Early
There is no certain age at which you should teach your child about the worth of things. It’s always better to get started as soon as possible. When shopping at a department store, most of the kids choose their own items. Make them understand that money has to be paid before receiving those items or leaving the store. This will make sure that they don’t keep hoarding unnecessary things.
Give them a piggy bank and let them fill it with coins.When a significant amount of money has been collected, have them spend it on something of their choice. It’s essential for them to understand the terminologies.
2. Give Them Rewards
Small and quick activities with immediate rewards help young children realise that their time is valuable. As children get older, jobs may take longer to complete, and the rewards or money paid may be greater. This will pay off as a strong work ethic in adulthood. Give them rewards like offering an ice cream or chocolate for completing a task. Simple praise and encouragement also boost the confidence of children and they are motivated towards following good behaviour.
Building a relationship between time and value while children are young is important to teach them to value what they have:if they are investing time in something, it must be valuable.
3. Model The Good Behavior
Children learn by imitating adults,especially their parents. Show them how to behave in the way you want them to.Show them how to behave in the way you want them to. At home, you may “act out” the habits you want them to inculcate while they are using their things. You can demonstrate to them how much you respect and care for your own belongings.
Connect with your child the next time you take off your jacket and teach them how to gently hang the jacket up so it stays clean until the next time you wear it. They will understand the concept that caring about something means that we appreciate and value it as well.
4. Allow Children to Experience Responsibility
There are several opportunities throughout a given day or week for parents to teach children how to take responsibility for themselves and also their personal belongings. Getting dressed in the morning is a good way to begin with. You may involve your child in the process of choosing clothes and footwear. While doing so, talk to them about the significance of taking care of our bodies, the clothes we wear, etc.
Involve them in other household activities, such as collecting the dishes or folding the clothes.This eventually helps in the development of healthy self-reliance and independence among children, as well as teaching them to respect and value things.
5. Be Clear About Expectations
We sometimes forget that children have no idea what is expected from them. While it may seem obvious to us as adults that you should not pluck flowers from their stems, this may be a thrilling or fascinating way for a child to learn more about a flower.
Children may show disregard for an item or toy just because they are overjoyed to have been holding it and accidentally damage it. Make it clear that you want the thing to be treated “gently” and “with care.” Similarly, if your child receives a new toy for their birthday, emphasise that you expect them to treat it with respect and explain what that involves.
6. Explain The Consequences
You may have a child that is going through a phase of development in which they repeatedly damage objects around the house, whether they are their own toys or belongings of other family members. The disruptive behaviour might be their way to learn about what things are and how they work.In this case, you can specify what the consequences will be for not following the rules.
For instance, if your child is playing with cars and continuously smashes them into each other or throws them, you can immediately take the toys away. Give an explanation for why you took them and how the behaviour was wrong. Then, when your child calms down and learns to obey the rules you’ve set, gradually return the toys.
7. Donate
Make a donation to those who are less fortunate. Let your children realise that not everyone is fortunate enough to have all they desire in life. Some people are dependent on others to meet their basic needs. Make sure kids don’t start looking down on other people.They should understand how lucky they are and the importance of appreciating what they have.
Remember that you’re dealing with children, and parents are their greatest instructors in every aspect. The process of teaching never stops; it is a continuous process. As a result, be patient and get started as soon as possible to teach your children the value of things in these modern times when we often tend to be ungrateful. Always put your words into action, and your kids would definitely grow up into positive individuals.