7 Ideas for Teaching Children Responsibility in Their Daily Lives

When it comes to raising children, instilling a strong sense of responsibility is a critical component of building good character. Responsible children grow up to be accountable, independent adults, which is why this is one of the most important lessons to learn in childhood. If you are a parent, teacher, or role model to a young child, here are seven easy ways to incorporate responsibility into your child’s daily life.

1. Read Books About Responsibility

Picture books are a great way to introduce various life lessons to your children, including the theme of responsibility. Often, these books will feature a main character who must learn how to be considerate of others, take care of his possessions, keep his room clean, or make promises that he intends to keep, all of which contribute to a child’s understanding of responsibility.

2. Assign Household Chores

Remember to keep it age-appropriate by assigning easier tasks to your younger children. Toddlers can start by helping the adults in the house with putting away dishes, wiping tables, or cleaning up their toys. As they grow up, they can graduate from “helping” to doing these chores on their own.

3. Set Weekly Goals

Start by writing down a few achievable goals and put them in a place where your child will see them every day, such as the bathroom mirror, refrigerator, or a family chalkboard. At the end of the week, sit down with your child to reflect on how much effort they put into achieving that goal and what changes they can make to reach their goals faster.

4. Use a Prepaid Phone

Every child will need his phone eventually, but not before learning about responsible use. For this reason, a prepaid phone can be a good first phone option for your child. These phones allow you to set limits on your child’s phone use and allow you to monitor their screen time and contacts.

5. Let Your Child Plan an Event

Planning a small event will help your child connect choices with consequences, which is a great way to teach responsibility. The event should be simple and age-appropriate, such as a picnic in the backyard or a family game night.

6. Don’t Fix Their Mistakes

Resist the urge to come to your child’s rescue when they make a mess, forget to do their homework, or disagree with their friends. Instead, provide support as they figure out how to solve their problems and learn how to be accountable for their actions.

7. Model Responsible Behavior

Children look up to the adults in their lives, especially their parents. With this in mind, it’s important to model responsible behavior by sticking to the same rules and expectations you have for your children. Doing this maintains the trust your children have in you as a leader and example of a good person.

Your children will eventually become the leaders of the next generation. To help them get to that point, it’s important to provide the appropriate guidance. Set early expectations for responsibility to encourage your child to develop into a thoughtful, productive adult.