Children who attend an after school program in Silver Spring, MD, gain a wealth of knowledge from their caregivers and classmates. They gain the ability to cooperate with one another, become open to trying new snacks, become independent from their parents, and learn fresh new talents.
Independence, responsibility, and leadership are critical components of their experience at a Silver Spring child care center. The caregivers put a lot of effort into teaching children how to properly care for their personal possessions and the equipment that belongs to the center. This helps set the children up for success in school and in life.
Teens who are responsible don’t just emerge. Even as young as toddlerhood, the foundation is set. Children who practice responsibility become compassionate and helpful adults. It takes time to instill responsibility in a youngster. It is anything that changes throughout time as a result of ongoing modeling.
Here are just some ways that caregivers teach children responsibility and leadership in after school programs.
The first thing caregivers need to do is set an example for the behavior they want children to exhibit. When children observe this behavior, it becomes the standard, and they strive to model their own actions after it.
When caregivers at child care in Silver Spring, MD, are finished using materials and toys, they make it a point to put things away properly so that they know exactly where to look for them if they need to retrieve them at a later time.
Apologizing when a mistake is made, cleaning up after every mess, taking a shopping cart back to the store, and other similar actions are examples of easy activities that can be taken. There are a lot of simple moments that demand our attention in our everyday lives, and including your children in such times may help teach them responsibility.
Those who look after youngsters aim to instill in them an understanding of what lies ahead. For instance, rather than just taking over and cleaning up the mess, they may ask, “What do we need to do to clear this up?” as an alternative.
Children may require some time to get used to this learning style at first, but once some time has passed, they will appreciate having a clear understanding of what is expected of them. A foolproof method for encouraging excellent behavior is to provide a lot of it in the form of positive feedback.
Children occasionally find it difficult to complete an assignment or task that has been assigned to them. When a child tries to complete these harder tasks, caregivers need to give lots of words of encouragement. They can also demonstrate how to finish the task so that the child may complete it on their own in the future.
When something negative occurs, it is simple to assign blame. However, teaching youngsters to place blame causes them to take a defensive stance and ultimately leads to lying. Avoid accusing a youngster of being irresponsible; instead, set an example by taking responsibility for your actions.
Teaching kids to be leaders and to be responsible helps make them aware of themselves and their actions, but it provides so many more benefits. Teaching kids responsibility helps them look out for more than just themselves. Here are just a few of the benefits of teaching children responsibility.
Children must learn how to handle conflicts and find solutions to problems on their own. That does not imply that adults shouldn’t give counsel and support or that they shouldn’t step in when it’s essential. However, teaching children to think critically and creatively about the challenges they face is essential to their growth. The adults in a child’s life who are always trying to solve the youngster’s issues are doing the child a disservice. These adolescents are at a greater risk of experiencing burnout and will have a more difficult time making the adjustment to living on their own.
When it comes to children, following the adage, give a man a fish he will eat for a day, but teaching him how to fish so he can eat for a lifetime is important. If you instruct them in basic life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and financial management, you are laying the groundwork for children and teenagers to grow up to be self-assured, responsible people. If you do everything for them, even as they get older, they are going to continue relying on you.
Providing youngsters with feedback and the opportunity to respond to criticism in a positive manner might help them build the resilience necessary to deal with the inevitable critiques they will experience as adults.
Children will learn numerous lessons about responsibility via practical, everyday experiences. Adults can use this time to demonstrate to a child how to clean something, maintain a routine, use the “see something, say something” principle, and other skills. We can show kids what is expected of them at the right time. Then we can keep teaching that lesson until it’s not about “obeying” anymore. Hey, it might even become second nature with the knowledge of why it needs to be done.
Some children may find this a bit challenging, especially if they haven’t been given any responsibility until now. Even with children in an after school program, there might be some pushback or claims of things being unfair. After all, they are still children and are going to behave as such.
Children must learn that life is not always about what we like and love to do. There are many obligations in life. That is how the world operates. School age programs in Silver Spring, MD, that teach children leadership and responsibility are beneficial because these kids can continue to build on these skills in later life situations when responsibilities get bigger.
MCCA has been recognized by the Maryland State Legislature for its commitment to Montgomery County issued a quality programs and special needs child care Proclamation in 2016 to MCCA for its commitment to Montgomery County child care for more than 50 years. MCCA was also selected as a 2018 nonprofit finalist for a MOXIE Award for boldness and innovation
MCCA is the oldest nonprofit licensed child care provider in Montgomery County and started its work in 1968 as a Community Action Project of the War on Poverty. Recognizing the need for quality child care programs in their neighborhoods, a group of local activists formed an association to establish centers in Montgomery County that would serve a diverse population and establish high standards for child care. Now, more than 50 years later, MCCA’s dedicated and expertly trained staff continue their tradition of providing high quality child care and play-based education for children.
Families with school aged children who can afford their child care expenses during the school year often struggle to afford the all-day programs they need when school is out for the summer. The Richard Krampf Summer Adventures Scholarship Fund was established to help provide children a safe and stimulating place to spend their weeks when school is out. Please contact an MCCA Director for details on how to apply.