My son is irresponsible?

Question

My Son is 6 in kindergarten he has homework to be turned in everynight and books to turn in it is all alot more involved than when I was in school but no matter what I say to him or do he forgets his back pack on the bus at least once a month leaves it at school at least twice a month and doesn't turn things in at least once a week what can I do what is a good punishment for this my methods have not worked any ideas to help him be more responsible

Answer 1

Teach him organization, someone that young has yet to learn to be irresponsible they just don't know better.

Answer 2

he's only 6 don't punish him he'll learn little by little

Answer 3

he's in Kindergarten, he will learn. Many boys it takes them years and many become disorganized again in middle school.

Answer 4

Defintely but the book "Redirecting Children's Behavior"! It is all about helping to create responsible children which turn into responsible adults.

The book would suggest giving him some responsibility in his life at home to help make him more responsible. GIve him some small chores, let him grow and take care of a plant, let him choose items to wear or items to put in his lunch...etc.

For the backpack/library book situation, you are going to have to remind him for a while. Each moring ask him "What are you going to take back to school today? What else do you need? What about all that hard work you did last night - what is that called? Where does it need to go? Are you forgetting something?"

Questions like these are better that saying "Get your backpack! Get your homework!" You can even joke a little and pretend that you forgot. "What are we forgetting? Is it a blanket? Noo... is it a bike helmet? Noo....what do we need?"

The book doesn't recommend rewards, but I say you could let him put a nickel in a jar for every day he remembers. Have him first pick out a toy in a catelog or online. Put a picture of the toy on the jar. Then he can remember what he's working towards buying with the money.

If it doesn't work, let him suffer the consequences that you feel are appropriate for his age. For example, "if you don't return your books to the library, you won't be able to borrow anymore. Then I won't be able to read you library books at bedtime."

Or, "the next time you forget your backpack you will have to take your books to school in a paper bag tomorrow. If you remember the paperbag tomorrow, you may try again with your backpack the next day."

Answer 5

my son its 8 and his been like that seen kindergarten as well, but he has ADD and maybe you should get a therapist or psychologist to make an evaluation, been forgetful and disoginized its part of ADD signs, in most cases. but consult a therapists that way you know if its ADD or something else, or just been a kid, but dont punish him, he will get frustrated and desoriented.

Answer 6

He's not irresponsible. He's just disorganized.

A very wise second grade teacher once told my mother that all kids are package deals--you can make a sloppy kid organized, but you'll lose something you like about the kid.

That said, try "positive reinforcement." For every week he goes without forgetting anything, give him a pre-determined prize (like a toy or ice cream). Make the prize bigger for 2 weeks straight, etc.

And don't worry. This won't last forever--I've never seen a kid who didn't grow out of it.

Answer 7

Try a sticker chart for each day he does these things. When I used them for my kids it had to be 20 consecutive school days in a row before they were rewarded. If they missed even one (except for illness of course) they started over. It worked very well. And it was not a huge reward, it was bowling or go out to Baskin & Robins. Someething affordable to do every 20 days or so LOL. Evenutally we dropped the chart because she did it on her own without needing the chart any longer. But I think I dropped it at the end of one school year not in the middle.

I just got the little gold star stickers, for some reason my kids thought these were really cool. Probably because it was the only stickers they did not already have. LOL