Creating responsibility at a young age

I will admit, quite adamantly, I hate housework. I understand that clothes need to be washed, dishes cleaned, house tidied, etc. But, I will be very clear, I, a mom, is not a maid. If your clothes don't get to the laundry room, I won't wash them. If you spill your milk on the floor, I should not be the one to wipe it up. I believe that you should be responsible for your own actions, starting with my kids. 

For the past year, my kids have had to help with a variety of tasks around the house. From helping with the laundry to clearing the table, the kids share the work with me. In turn, they are learning to be responsible. 

This lesson of responsibility has been a work in process. When we first started, there was push-back from the kids. The whys, how comes, and do I have to were common phrases.  As time passed, the complaining lessened. 

I knew that my goal was accomplished when kids cleared the table without me asking. After dinner I was having a conversation with my mother in law, my kids got up, put their dishes, my dishes and her dishes into the sink, napkins in the trash and vacuumed crumbs off the floor. My mother in law watched entire process and was shocked. It wasn't that the kids completed the actions. It was that the kids took action without being asked. They saw a task, need and completed it.

My intent with creating a sense of responsibility with my kids at home is that they will act independently in all situations. Whether it is helping a friend on the playground, an adult in a store or teacher at school, I want them to see a need and fill it. 

I didn't write this post to brag about my children; rather I want to spark a discussion on creating responsibility in our kids. I see a lot of children that whine, cry and are disrespectful to adults. Maybe if there was a stronger sense of responsibility  in themselves, we would be more appreciative of all that we have.