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Article- Parenting Responsible Children

Three Rules for Responsible Children and Teenagers

By Stephen Carr

Parents, raising kids is difficult. They are under so many outside influences, sometimes it is hard to get them focused on anything. The best way to create and instill discipline and responsibility can be summed up in three rules to live by. Starting at an early age is imperative, but it is not impossible to start later. Starting later, however, means a little more work.

1) Your child will always have household chores to do before fun. This can be anything that is age-appropriate. Knowing that they cannot watch TV, go to a friends, etc. before sweeping the kitchen, vacuuming, dusting, or any other chore you decide, will only get them on task quicker. If you stick with this, and make it a hard fast rule, arguments will cease. It is now an expectation.

2) Your child will always attend church as long as they are living in your house and the family attends. Your child is forced by the government to go to school. Why should your outlook on church be any different? Is there a better place for your child to be than in church? Yes, many people do not attend church. Okay. Set aside a few hours on Saturday or Sunday, each and every weekend, for family time. This can be at home or on a road trip. Make it a rule. Nobody makes plans during family time.

3)Have a curfew. Again, age-appropriate. But, never past midnight. Preferably before. No good thing is EVER going to come from your child being away from home at one in the morning. Absolutely nothing. Read the newspapers. They are filled with the trouble that teenagers get into during the wee hours of the morning.

The sooner you put the above rules in concrete, the sooner you will have responsible children. Do not worry about them getting angry. Remember, you are training them. The more your children are made to follow the rules, the less they will complain. Soon it will be automatic. The rules are for any child still living in your house. Children thrive on structure. Exceptions can be made. But my advice is to allow no exceptions. Your child will complete his tasks. Your child will be in church (or with family). Your child will be home at a certain hour. It is very easy for a child to be let out of going to church. The hard part comes on getting them back in. If your child knows there are never exceptions, except in emergencies and other events, your child will never ask for them. And that is your goal!