Accountability, as it pertains to the youth--at times is a hard word for the young ones to fathom. Especially because according to many young children in correspondence to the word accountability "We are just kids--I'm not old enough." But does one have to be of a certain age in order to be held accountable for their actions as it pertains to their education, when they are being taught exactly what's needed according to their age group? Community service when it entails keeping clean the community that they live in? Chores around the house, in order to help their parents to keep the house clean? Or what about the morals and values of being respectful at all times and earning their way through life?
Times have truly changed, which has obviously set the standards for the youth. Toddlers carry cell phones, babies are using computers, 7 years olds are being praised to dance to songs that many may feel aren't even morally fit for an adult to sing, (see
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=648... or
http://beatcrave.com/2010-05-14/7-year-old... ) while respect is looked at as a scare tactic to keep the community isolated. Not only do the adults not want to be held accountable for the mess that our youth have inherited, but when the youth are confronted with what is proper and needed in many situations like community advocacy, respect for their elders, staying away from negative media (video games, vulgar music, vulgar music videos, television and keeping good grades in order to prepare themselves for the future many seem to come up with excuses that put them in a category of irresponsibility with a mind set that portrays, "It's not my job to do this, I'm too young."
As many parents try to buy love into the life of their children in order to make up for the lost time due to their busy schedules-- and teachers in the public school system continuing to "Pass Children" in order to get them out of their class rooms, many youth nation wide are without the understanding of the responsibility of accountability. Based on research their are many organizations throughout the city and inner cities nation wide who strive to help put this key factor in place for our youth "Accountability" but with so many layers of misunderstanding to get through are the right people put in place in order to execute the the task correctly? If you are looking to shift your child's mindset into accountability mode here are a list of ways to do so:
1. Accountability must first start at home, spending quality time with your child allows them to understand the importance of family time instead of buying their love.
2. Make sure that your child understands the importance of earning the rewards of life. Start off by rewarding them for earning good grades in school.
3. Give your child chores to do around the home and outside of the home and when the chores are done complete and correctly, reward them with an allowance.
4. Spend quality time with your child while they are doing chores in the neighborhood, for example (sweeping in the porch; cleaning the neighborhood park; raking up leaves; etc.)
5. Hold your child accountable by making them earn the right to brand new cell phones, appropriate video games and appropriate CD's & DVD's by spending the money that they have earned by way of good grades and chores.
6. Teach your child how to save money in order to buy their own miscellaneous goods.
7. Make sure your are in great communication with your child's teacher so that you know that your child is not amongst the number of those who are being passed along in order to suit their teachers impatience to teach correctly.
8. Stay connected to the lessons that your child are getting in school and make sure that they are learning and fully understand the lessons.
9. Make sure that your child is always respectful in response to your demands and always respectful to their elders and their neighbors as well.
10. Keep grown folk business amongst the grown folks and keep children's business amongst your child and his/her friends unless your child wants to communicate with you about the pressures of peer pressure. Therefore, you don't have to worry about your child being disrespectful to their elders.
11. Always communicate with your child the importance of accountability.
For more information on Talibah Bakhit's work for the youth and community log on to:
http://www.bonchicproductions.com http://www.nlcn.org http://www.talibakhit.myarbonne.com Keeping a clean green outlook on life for the youth and community--Be apart of the solution, be accountable, by keeping our youth accountable.
Click here to find out more!
Posted By: Talibah Bakhit
Wednesday, May 19th 2010 at 11:22AM
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