How to Raise Responsible Teenagers
If you want to raise responsible teenagers, then hopefully you're reading this long before your kids actually become teenagers. That's because many of the things you can be doing to foster a sense of responsibility in teens can also apply to kids who are a lot younger than that. Holding them accountable for their actions and giving them household responsibilities are just two of the things you should start now to encourage responsible, healthy teen behavior later on.
Instructions
Keep in contact with your teen's teachers and school counselors, who can alert you to potential problems before they become big issues. Go to school conferences and check the school's and teachers' websites often so you'll know when big assignments are due, or when special events are happening. Stay abreast of what's happening, but hold your kids accountable for their own actions. In other words, resist the urge to bail them out when they mess up. If your teen doesn't do his homework and gets a bad grade, for example, don't call the teacher and beg for leniency. Trying to solve your teen's problems makes it more possible for him to become an irresponsible adult, according to the Iowa State University Extension. Give your kids regular chores. Giving your children responsibilities around the house is a surefire way to foster responsibility and self-confidence. Tying the chores to a reward or consequence, such as an allowance or not being able to use a computer, can further encourage your teens to get their chores done in a timely manner. If they protest, remind them that this is the way they contribute to the family, a point psychology professor Dr. Nancy Darling makes in an article on chores in "Psychology Today." Allow your kids to spend their money the way they see fit. If you provide them an allowance, don't try to control how they spend it. If your child blows all of his birthday money on something frivolous, he's going to get a big lesson in budgeting and financial responsibility, since he then won't have any money to go to the movies or buy that T-shirt he'd been hoping to get. Volunteer with your kids. You're one of your teen's biggest role models, and as such she'll be watching you for cues about how to act in society. Volunteering at the local tree-planting event or at a local homeless shelter helps expose your teens to people of different social and ethnic groups, and can foster a sense of gratitude and altruism. Encourage your teen to complete the things he starts. Regularly spouting phrases like "finish what you start" and "keep your promises" can help him learn responsibility, reminds psychologist Dr. Carl Pickhardt in an article in "Psychology Today." Pickhardt also advises parents to not allow kids to run from their problems, but to meet them head-on. This might mean you encourage your child to confront a coach with whom he's been butting heads, or to get a job to pay for a car he crashed, for example.