Today I want to share a story discussing the importance for children to learn responsibility. Simple actions, like staying up too late, can effect schoolwork and success in daily tasks. Children need to learn to take care of themselves so they can be successful in school. Parents need to teach their children good daily habits to help them grow up to be responsible adults.

The Story of Jhon The Sleepyhead

It was a bright and sunny morning in Aceh, Indonesia and the sky was clear. Lately, it had been raining and the streets were still wet and muddy.

Jhon was having a hard time waking up. He felt warm and cozy in his bed. The air in his bedroom was cool and Jhon enjoyed being under the covers. Jhon’s father had left the house early in the morning. Because of the rains he couldn’t go out scavenging but now he was taking advantage of the good weather. Jhon’s father went out to look for goods and supplies to help him support his family and pay for his son to go to school.

After a while Jhon’s mother decided he needed to wake up.

"Jhon, it is time to get up! You don’t want to miss school. You must go to school to become smart and successful. This will make your parents very happy. You must be the one to pick the fruit," mother said as she stood by his bedside.

Hearing the words of his mother, Jhon opened his eyes. He knew her words were true. Jhon wanted to go to school so he could get the education he needed to be successful to help support his family. His father got up early every morning to work to help pay for Jhon's schooling. For him to miss school because he felt lazy was wrong and Jhon felt bad for not waking up earlier.

Getting out of bed, he was ready to greet the day. Smiling sheepishly at his mother Jhon felt he should explain why he was so tired.

"I wanted to get up early Mom, but last night I watched TV until late into the night."

Mother smiled at his answer. She didn’t have any desire to scold her child. Deep down he was a good boy. Instead she gave him a reminder.

“Just remember my son, watching TV late at night can interfere with your studies. Don’t make a habit of this. Now go take a bath and try to get to school on time.”

Jhon felt bad for staying up late but he appreciated his mother’s calm attitude. Mentally promising he would try harder, Jhon felt more determined to spend less time watching television and more time dedicated to his schoolwork.

Lessons To Learn

This story is short but teaches children a simple example of how they need to be responsible and take accountability for their actions. Jhon knew he should be sleeping and preparing for tomorrow’s school day but he was irresponsible. He stayed up late and was very tired the next day.

His performance suffered because he made the wrong decision. Jhon did make a good decision in the story. Instead of lying to his mother about why he was tired, Jhon told the truth about staying up too late.

Honesty in life is extremely important. Telling the truth and admitting mistakes are admirable qualities. Jhon did the right thing by telling his mother the truth about staying up too late. His mother also did an admirable action in not punishing Jhon for telling the truth. His mother showed compassion and understanding. She corrected her son and told him to try harder. By keeping calm, she was able to send a positive message to her son who became determined to try hard so he didn’t disappoint her.

Jhon is a young boy and is learning many life lessons. I hope you'll visit @agrojaya again to read stories about Jhon and the lessons he learns.

This post has been edited and checked for plagiarism by a member of the @blue-pencil team! Please visit this link to learn more about @blue-pencil.