When do we Learn Accountability?
I recently read about a boy in Delhi metro wiping the floor clean after he accidentally dropped food from his tiffin. When he could have easily taken a route of ignoring what had happened and keeping himself clean, he instead chose to be hands on and take responsibility.
In another post I read about a young teen boy who offered a girl his jacket to tie around the waist oon the way back home in the school bus. That's because the girl got her periods and had stained her dress. The girl very reluctantly took the jacket, only when the boy told her that I too have a mother and sister and I know what problems they face. Here the boy could have chosen to ignore, but instead he chose to be responsible for protecting the modesty of his friend.
I was reading about accountability as a very valued aspect of how one approaches that work and how it is perceived by others around as an amazing quality one has. By displaying accountability for what is happening around one can win hearts and also win as a leader. Being responsible for team's failures and being a part of their success is afterall a vital leadership quality.
So how can accountability be fostered in children and young adults soon in their life. Although my child is yet about to turn 4, I still make her feel she needs to do her own things like putting her toys in place after play, putting her books in the bag, putting her plate on the kitchen table after food. If not everytime, atleast a few times allow your children to feel what you feel when you do that work. It makes them feel responsible for their chores and they will be independent and require less spoon feeding.
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