Activities

Activities


As parents, sometimes we think that we must set aside
particular times or create special situations in order to teach
our children. But that is far from the truth when it comes to
learning about responsibility. While it is important to have
some times together when you won't be disturbed, the most
ordinary situations in everyday life are filled with
opportunities for sound teaching, if parents pay attention to
them.

This booklet contains activities to encourage habits of
responsibility in your child. Most of them are not, however,
the kind of activities that you can do together for half an
hour once a week. Instead, they are more like rules of thumb,
ideas to build on. They illustrate the concepts introduced in
the previous sections. They should stimulate your own thinking
and your own ideas.

Just remember one thing: teaching our children about
responsibility doesn't mean that we can't laugh or that we have
to be grim. Our children should see that we can be serious
about our principles, while still being able to play and have
fun.



Dad, can I show you what we did in ballet class today?

Sure.

It was hard. We had to get way up on our toes and then
twirl around like this.

Great. Let me try it. . .oops! Now, what's so funny about
that? Well, OK. I guess we aren't all as graceful as you are.


Getting To Know Others


Children need to be shown and taught respect for others.
Other people have feelings and hopes, just as we do. We have
much to learn from each other from people who live far away and
from those who lived long ago.


What to do


1. Set a good example by acting respectfully toward others.
Always make clear that prejudice is wrong and that all of
us are equals, no matter our color, gender, or background.


2. Show an interest in learning about and from others--from
neighbors and relatives, and from books about our own and
other civilizations. Tell your child interesting things
you have learned.




3. Encourage your child to learn about many different lands
and people, to learn more than one language, and to read
stories about children from all over the world. Show your
child how you try to see things from the point of view of
others.

4. Listen attentively when your child wants to tell you about
interesting things discovered about history, geography,
religions, art, and ways of life.



We can help our children understand that there are often
things to learn from those who lived in the past and from those
whose lives are different from our own. We can teach our
children to behave respectfully toward people and not pre-judge
them. Sometimes, however, we must make it clear that some
people behave in ways that are harmful, and such behavior
should not be tolerated.