Children's Activities to Teach Reliability

School helps children develop numerous skills beyond building their knowledge base. One such skill is reliability. Teachers and parents can partner in helping children learn to become more reliable by engaging them in activities or roles that target this quality. Reliability is more easily taught once children can understand its meaning. Around age 5, explain to children that being reliable means people can count on you to do what is expected.

Assigning jobs to children helps them become more reliable by making them responsible for tasks. Children can have jobs in school and at home. Classroom jobs can include pencil sharpening, sweeping, erasing the board, pushing in or putting up chairs at the end of the day, taking attendance, collecting homework or watering plants, depending on the age of the child. Chores at home might include washing dishes, feeding a pet, cleaning up toys or setting the dinner table. Set up reward systems for incentive if they're needed. Explain that completing a job that is expected shows reliability because you can be trusted to do the right thing.

Homework is an activity that teaches reliability from a young age. Homework assignments become more complicated and time consuming as children age, helping them prepare for the heavier responsibilities they will have as adults. Help children understand that homework teaches them to follow through on tasks. Homework requires students to show they have learned skills that were taught in class and that they can be counted on to bring the work home, complete it and bring it back.