Teens And Responsibility

Responsibility is one of the most important lessons a young teenager can learn and it’s never really too soon to start teaching them this valuable lesson in a constructive way. Forcing too much on them early on can make them run and start a habit of fleeing from responsibility or when things get too tough but a gentle, supported, introduction to the idea early in their adolescent years can shape the path that their lives take. Learning how to take responsibility for their decisions and actions can make a big difference in the way they go on to live their lives and the habits they adopt.

One of the most important components of responsibility is learning to distinguish between what matters in your life and being able to keep take charge and make good decisions in those areas. Responsibility means knowing that you and only you have the power to create and change within your life. This can be a difficult concept for a young teen to learn but it’s a life-changing one that can determine a big part of their future if they pick it up early on. If your teen can learn that how he engages with the concepts of responsibility in his life will have a powerful impact on him then the way he makes choices and follows paths in his life can be dramatically effected.

A great way to introduce your teen to having more responsibility in their life is to give them stewardship of certain activities around your home. Having your teen be responsible for certain parts of maintaining the house or certain activities can go a long way to encouraging them to take responsibility for things outside of them. Presumably your teen is already responsible for their school activities and academic progress but sometimes placing them in charge of a family pet or a younger sibling can do a much better job of teaching responsibility - simply because they are being put in charge of another person or pet that requires them to act maturely and with good decision-making skills for their own safety or well-being. This added pressure can often be just the nudge that your teen needs to really step into their own ability to be responsible.

Another way is to put your teen in charge of a certain event or activity. For example every year at christmastime my family takes turns with who is in charge of coordinating christmas that year. If you happen to be in charge then it’s your responsibility to arrange dinners, decorations, and any activities that might be going on. You are of course welcome to have other family members assist you but you are on your own when it comes to planning, arranging, and delegating. This allows the different members of my family to learn to take on new responsibilities and strive to make the holiday an enjoyable experience for everyone. Because we know that the fun everyone has on the holiday depends on us we work much harder and take the responsibility much more seriously. So it’s a great method to use.

Overall your teen will benefit from learning to be responsible if you take the time to teach it to them.