I'm a big believer in tasks and chores. I'm pretty much a die-hard Momma Drill Sergeant, handing out orders and jobs to anyone in my path. We've handed out a small list of "duties" and responsibilities to my 7-year-old, but I have a favorite: he takes care of his own breakfast.
Now, this isn't something new to dedicated parents. We all try to get our kids to deal with their own breakfast, whether it's pouring a bowl of cereal or using the microwave to get the deed done. We decided at the ripe old age of 4 we'd teach our son about making his own breakfast...the night before.
It's simple: we have him decide what he would want for breakfast right after dinner, and we help him prep it. Here are the steps:
How to Help Your Kids Make Their Own Breakfast
1. Decide on what you want. When starting out, it's best to give them 3 choices and go from there.
2. List the prep work. Kids love directions, so letting them know the prep list will create a game plan in their own mind of how to accomplish them.
3. Review safety. If they have decided on a bowl of cereal, placing a cup of milk and a bowl filled with cereal is easy. Making eggs or using the microwave for another meal may not. Make sure they are comfortable with what they'll have to do on their own.
4. Review the steps before bed. Most information is retained better right before bed, so go through the steps for breakfast right after their bedtime story.
5. Let them explore! You can get up with them to check on their breakfast duty, but that may hinder them from feeling independent. Let them make mistakes; just don't let them blow up the kitchen.
That's all it takes. Something as simple as breakfast can instill self-sufficiency in our youg'uns. Once breakfast is tackled, you can use these same steps for other chores: laundry, cleaning the bathroom, and eventually, running errands for Mom!
How do you help your children feel more independent and responsible?
Featured image courtesy of Flickr.
Amiyrah is a wife, mother of 2, Airman in the US Air National Guard and all around frugal maven. Her goal is to show how frugality can be fun and that “misers” can be cool, witty, and that they do actually have friends and family. She blogs at 4 Hats and Frugal, a family-friendly, humorous take on raising a brood on the cheap.
The post Parenting: How to Teach Kids to Make Their Own Breakfast appeared first on Mom it Forward.