My 9-year-old son, Jude, is capable of cleaning his own room, mowing the yard, packing his lunch for school and doing his homework without constant supervision. Unfortunately, possessing the capability to carry out these duties doesn't mean that he actually accomplishes any of them. Given the choice, my son would probably play video games all day.
Hoping to encourage a little more initiative and personal responsibility, my wife and I recently came up with a plan: We told Jude that the privilege of playing video games now had a price. Each week started with Jude not allowed to play video games, but he could "purchase" small blocks of game time by taking more responsibility for his schoolwork and helping out with chores around the house. My wife came up with a little system that awarded different amounts of minutes for a variety of assignments.
Jude didn't love this plan, of course, but for him it's been a relevant way to see an important life principle in action: Personal responsibility leads to desirable outcomes. The lesson seems to be sinking in — he has begun doing his homework without any badgering from Mom or Dad.
Meanwhile, because he spends less time in the virtual world, Jude has been reading more on his own, playing with his little sisters and becoming more engaged in the everyday life of our family. We hadn't anticipated these side effects, but we've certainly enjoyed seeing these big steps toward maturity.
Copyright © 2010 Jason T. Morris. Used by permission.
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