Indonesia
When Kid Lose Belongings at School
Mrs Dewi seems upset. Her son, Agus, every day comes home from school without one or two of his belongings. One day he left his lunch box, other day he lost his jacket. Mrs Dewi doesn’t know what else she can do.
Superparent, forgetting things is a natural part of childhood. However, some kids have a problem with keeping up with their stuff. So, if we have the similar problem, what will we do? Should we punish our kids?
Age plays a role in how well kid takes care their stuff. So, from as young as two, we must teach our kids the importance of being responsible for their belongings. Speak to them about why they should take care of their belongings. Be firm on the acts that we disagree with their forgetting.
If the kids have grown but still constantly leave their belonging, we need to find the problem. Perhap, kid never see the importance of keeping up with their belongings. Even, kids who lose things constantly may have a learning disorder such as ADHD.
If it just a habit, teach them the structure skills to remember.
- Give them reminders before they go to school. For example, remind them to look for their jacket BEFORE they leave school each day.
- Let our kids to bring only the necessities. Don’t give them extra stuff. For example, instead of using a lunchbox, send their lunch in a paper sack.
- Label everything. Use a sharpie marker to label every thing that is not attached to our kids’ body. Should it be left, the item will be returned.
However, the most important is lead by example. Kids take note of parents’ patterns. Therefore, we must show care toward our own belongings.
TEGUH WAHYU UTOMO
PHOTOS: THINKSTOCK
