BY XCEEDIBLES – FOR CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP

When asked what traits parents would like their children to have now and as adults, one of the most common responses is to be responsible. This is a broad term that means many different things – from being helpful around the house to behaving responsibly at school to giving back to the community and using one’s talents responsibly in the workplace. Parents want their children to be responsible because this predicts success both now and later in life, even into adulthood. With these goals in mind, how can you best teach teenagers to be responsible? Here are some tips:

Instill Values: Children will always make mistakes, but there are a few ways parents can help their kids build a strong foundation of responsible behaviour. Before discussing what these values are, parents should define what they mean by responsibility. For example, you might say that responsibility means taking on only obligations that you know you can complete successfully or finishing tasks before you move on to something else.

Encourage Respectful Behavior: One reason that many teenagers act irresponsibly is that they feel that their actions will not have any consequences. They make decisions based solely on what feels good in that moment without thinking about how it might affect them later on. This is why you need to sit down with your teen and explain what exactly responsible behaviour means.

Be Patient: Developing good habits isn’t going to happen overnight. It will take time and dedication on your part, but it can happen. The first step is going to always be practice. You are building a muscle, and it won’t grow in one day – you have to exercise that muscle repeatedly over time before it becomes strong enough that you don’t need constant focus.

Set Consequences: The problem with “because I said so” is that it doesn’t teach a child anything. The reason isn’t important, but how you follow up on your instructions is crucial. And even if you think it will work, Because I said so! rarely leads to responsible behaviour. When your teenager understands that there are concrete consequences for their actions—or lack thereof—the odds of them making better choices increases exponentially. In conclusion, When it comes to teaching teenagers how to be responsible, there are no quick fixes. Good parenting is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. The best way parents can teach teenagers about responsibility is by modelling and providing good examples in their own lives. Let your teenager see you working hard at work or helping others in need. Teens want to please their parents, and if they see you being responsible in your daily life, they will want to learn from you too.