Backpacks and Responsibility

This morning, I was able to go with to drop Little Man off at kindergarten.  While I waited in the truck for the husband to take him inside and get him checked in with his early care teacher, I observed several other children get dropped off as well.  Typically, they all had a backpack, as was requested on the school supply list at the beginning of the year.  What caught my attention about this was that none of the children were carrying their backpack.  The parent/adult was.  Even at the Center, the majority of children who regularly bring a backpack have their parent or responsible adult carrying it for them.

As I sit and wait, I found myself wondering if I am in a minority on backpack usage.  You see, I have my children (even 2 year old Super Baby) carry their own backpack.  The most help I will give them with it usually is to put it on their shoulder, and hold their hand so that they can't just dump it on the ground.  To me, it is their backpack for a reason.  They need to learn responsibility, and this is a great way to do it.  To insist that they carry their own possessions (with an adult making sure that it is weight appropriate for their size/ strength) teaches them that they are responsible enough to take on keeping track of their things.  My littles carry their blanket and a stuffed animal or taggie lovey in theirs, my kindergartner is supposed to have his folders and/or library books in his, but does sometimes forget.

Now, I do know that this may seem like a minor thing.  But why waste the opportunity for teaching?  Children aren't going to learn any younger, as my dad always liked to say.  Teaching them early that there are rules and expectations just makes it easier on everyone as children grow. Teach your 18 month old to push a laundry basket through the house so he can take his own clothes to the laundry room and back.  Teach your four year old to put the stacks of her shirts and pants in the separate drawers so she can put her own clothing away.  Teach your six year old about recycling so he can be the one to take the cans, jugs, and boxes out to the recycling bin.  Not only do these small chores teach children about responsibility, they allow them to offer something to the family.  Those first baby steps toward learning to become an employee.

Children are naturally curious and want to please.  Encouraging this from the time they begin to ask creates lifelong helpers, children who have less trouble when asked to do something around the house, to help their classmates in child care, preschool, or school, and have less difficulty acclimating to the responsibilities of a job.  In my care are 1 year olds (14-15 months) who want rags to help us clean the shelves and cabinets. My own children have chores that they help with around the house.  I remember having expectations of helping out when I was a kid, both in the house and in the barn.  I am not suggesting that we make children do everything for themselves or us, but what a great learning experience it is when they are encouraged to do the things they can!