Taking responsibility and working independently are important qualities for school
success. Here are some suggestions for helping your child to develop these qualities:
*| Establish rules. Every home needs reasonable rules that children know and can
depend on. Have your child help you to set rules, then make sure that you enforce the
rules consistently.

*| Make it clear to your child that he has to take responsibility for what he does, both at
home and at school. For example, don’t automatically defend your child if his teacher
tells you that he is often late to class or is disruptive when he is in class. Ask for his
side of the story. If a charge is true, let him take the consequences.

*| Work with your child to develop a reasonable, consistent schedule of jobs to do
around the house. List them on a calendar. Younger children can help set the table or
put away their toys and clothes. Older children can help prepare meals and clean up
afterwards.

*| Show your child how to break a job down into small steps, then to do the job one step
at a time. This works for everything—getting dressed, cleaning a room or doing a big
homework assignment.

*| Make your child responsible for getting ready to go to school each morning—getting
up on time, making sure that he has everything he needs for the school day and so
forth. If necessary, make a checklist to help him remember what he has to do.

*| Monitor what your child does after school, in the evenings and on weekends. If you
can’t be there when your child gets home, give her the responsibility of checking in
with you by phone to discuss her plans.