WHAT'S THE POINT OF BEING ACCOUNTABLE? WHY ACCOUNTABILITY IS ONE OF OUR 3 CORE VALUES

At NRG, we believe that accountability is one of the most important values we can instill in our kids because it sets them up for long term success in all aspects of their life. We teach our kids that accountability means taking ownership of their actions and effort, both in and out of class.

Being accountable is pretty tricky for kids (it's still tricky for adults!) - it's definitely not a natural thing for them to do. It's totally normal for kids to want to blame someone else when they don't achieve their goals or if something goes wrong. It's hard to say, "I stuffed up and I'm sorry". However, while this is a totally normal thing for a kid to do, it's super important for us to help them learn to be accountable because if a child thinks they have no control or responsibility for their life, it creates a feeling of helplessness and increases their anxiety - which is the opposite of what we want for them.

We believe that teaching accountability is crucial to building confidence and resilience in our kids as they learn what is in their zone of control. They see they can take positive steps to change a situation if they choose. They learn to take responsibility for their mistakes and learn from them, rather than blaming others or making excuses. This helps them develop a growth mindset, which is essential for a happy life.

It's important to remember that being accountable is NOT about putting yourself down or beating yourself up for not being "perfect". It is a positive step to creating a better outcome for yourself and the people around you. It is acknowledging that you could have chosen better actions or effort and it's creating a plan for the next time you face that challenge. It’s also about forgiving yourself and moving in a positive direction. While you can’t change what has happened, you can choose differently next time.

Learning to be accountable helps kids understand the impact they have on their world, their class mates and their coaches. This helps them become a better friend, team player and community member, which in turn, helps them create and keep connections, leading to better mental and physical health outcomes. The positive flow on effects of being able to be accountable are immense!

It's so important to all our coaches that our kids walk out of our doors with skills that will help them through their life. We want to see all our kids thriving in the world and we love that we get to contribute to these life lessons that will help them.

Over this term we will be chatting to our classes about what it means to be accountable. What does it look like? What does it sound like? How do we make better choices for ourselves? What do we say when we realise we've stuffed up? What can we do at home and in class to reach our goals?

We'd love if you could continue the conversation at home too :)