Teaching Children Responsibility

A mother often wonders if she is raising her children right. Is she teaching them the tools they need to grow up? What major lesson is she forgetting? Who will be the one who wakes them up in the morning when she's not there to do it? Will they brush their teeth and put on clean clothes every day? Will they subsist only on pop-tarts and cokes?

Or, at least that's what goes through my mind.

I've tried to work on teaching my children the tools they need to be a responsible adult. It's been hit and miss, but I won't give up on them.

I started with my oldest by teaching him to fold towels when he was four. Eleven years later, he is still the primary towel folder. My teenagers have also been doing their own laundry the past few years, and my younger two are responsible for putting their clothes away. I have started teaching my nine year old to sort clothes, and my plan is to have her doing her laundry within the year.

I also know all four children can fend for themselves in the kitchen. I came in from a run one morning to find my youngest downing his breakfast at the table. "I made my own waffles," he told me. Complete with butter and syrup, he decided he didn't want to bother anyone else to make his breakfast. 

But my biggest challenge lately is waking them up. Maybe it is the lazy days of summer with the irregular bedtimes, but frankly, this is my least favorite activity. For half of my children, all I have to do is walk in the room and say their name. But for the other half - well, it is an athletic event.

When my oldest daughter started band a few weeks ago, I let her know she was to be responsible for setting an alarm and getting herself up. Each morning, I still check to make sure she is awake, but that's it. She takes care of getting her things together, and she has been ready to go on time each morning. My teenage son, on the other hand, is a different story. I could write a whole post on what I have tried (ice, water, loud noises, etc.) and why it doesn't help. He sleeps like a rock.

I'm learning that I can only do so much as a mother, and at some point I'm going to have to let go of the reins. I can only hope that when I do, they will remember what they've been taught.

Hopefully, I won't miss anything major along the way.

What are some ways you teach your children responsibility?