Do I Teach Responsibility To My Child?

Do you choose the right moments for teaching responsibility?

Are you not afraid of stepping back and letting your child ‘fail’ once in a while?

Do you provide tools that support responsibility?

Do you create opportunities for responsible behavior at home, such as household chores?

Do you also take breaks from teaching responsibility, meaning you don’t demand responsibility 24/7?

Do you respect where your child started?

Do you model conscientious behavior yourself?

Do you raise your child with the expectation that everyone cleans up their own mess?

Do you let your child do the thinking instead of simply giving orders?

Do you provide routines and structure?

Does your child experience working for pay?

Do you let your child help you with, for example, house chores?

Do you praise your child for actions?

Do you teach your child consequences?

Unfortunately, based on your answers, you are displaying many signs that you are not teaching responsibility to your child. During early and middle childhood, you probably needed to remind your child constantly about their obligations. However, as adolescence approaches, levels of conscientiousness begin to rise, and children will have more autonomy. Your child will take charge of many of his or her responsibilities, such as when to leave for school or due dates for projects. It’s important to let your child exercise this ability to remind themselves of their responsibilities. Stop doing the thinking for your child, because otherwise he/she will never get the chance to learn!

Based on your answers, you are displaying several signs related to teaching responsibility to your child. However, there is still room for improvement. Responsibility is something joyful for a child, not a burden. All children want to grow up fast and see themselves as responsible human beings. They need this for their self-esteem and for their lives in general to have meaning. They want to feel like they matter and that they can make a positive contribution. Kids will be responsible as long as we support them to be! Make sure to let your children fail sometimes and avoid always doing the thinking. Learning how to meet responsibilities is one of the most important things a child can learn.

Based on your answers, you are displaying the signs typically seen among parents who teach responsibility to their children. This is great news! Teaching your child responsibility is simply teaching them life skills. If a child does not have any responsibilities, they will think that everything will always be done for them. Responsibility is not just about completing a task. It’s also about a certain attitude; the idea of doing something and being proud of doing it yourself. Learning how to meet responsibilities is one of the most important things a child can learn. By being responsible children will be better able to deal with obstacles that will arise in life.