Here Are Some Age-Appropriate Responsibilities Your Child Can Do at Home

Dear Parents,

Beginning this September, our school is enthusiastically launching “Kind Child” in our school. This isan age- appropriate, proprietary program designed to help teachers sharpen what they do with and for children. Just as we’ve always focused on each child’s cognitive, language and physical development, Kind Child will assist teachers in nurturing and strengthening every child’s social emotional skills. As a child increases in the understanding of his own feelings, he is better able to understand the feelings of others. That’s truly the beginning of empathy. We are confident that Kind Child will strengthen the entire culture of our school by escalating every child’s feelings of happiness, improving their well-being and enriching their friendships.

Our school will concentrate on a different social emotional character trait every two months. In September and October, our focus will be “Being Responsible for Myself, My Belongings and My Classroom.” In all of our Two’s, Preschool, PreKindergarten and School-Age programs you’ll likely see lessons being taught in ‘teachable moments.’ The concept of showing responsibility towards possessions or objects in the classroom might start with a conversation about how the children feel when someone breaks their toy, tears a favorite book, or colors on their belongings.

The teachers might next discuss why it is important for people to show personal responsibility for the objects around them (toys, books, furniture, playground equipment, walls, other people’s belongings, etc.). The bottom line is that it all starts with a discussion of feelings. Children will learn that they can show responsibility by caring for the school’s equipment and materials because it makes everyone happy to have fun things with which to play. Similarly, we care for our own belongings because we like playing with them and want to have them for a long time. We responsibly care for our classmate’s belongings because we want others to treat our own possessions with gentleness and respect in return.

You will also discover Job Boards / Responsibility Boards in use in all classrooms over the age of 2. Just as any family requires each member to have roles; so too does your child’s classroom family. Each child will feel that they belong and are an important part of the team if they are given responsibilities in the classroom environment. Be sure to look for this Board in your child’s classroom by Tuesday, September 8th.

Implementing a Family Job Board would be an excellent way to reinforce at home what we’ve been concentrating on at school. No matter what you call them--chores, responsibilities, jobs: completing themcontributes to the successful running of a household. Having a job around the house is a way to belong. When a child contributes, they matter. Having responsibilities also nurtures self-esteem and helps children learn to be self-disciplined,

Here are some age-appropriate responsibilities your child can do at home:

• Putting dirty clothes in clothes hamper
• Putting toys away
• Helping parents to put the groceries away
• Replacing paper towels and toilet paper
• Setting out napkins for dinner
• Scraping meal scraps into the garbage

Sincerely,

School Director