Teach Your Child the Importance of Responsibility

One of the greatest missions that a parent can have is to teach their children the importance of responsibility, so they can achieve their goals in life with commitment, dedication, and conscience

Written and verified by the psychologist Bernardo Peña.

Last update: 27 May, 2022

Taking responsibility for things should begin when a child is small. Parents are committed to teaching the importance of responsibility to their children.

The rest of the family also plays an important role in teaching this value, starting with the example set by parents, aunts, and uncles. Remember that your child will learn from what they see and imitate it.

Responsibility is defined as compliance with obligations or making decisions. Fulfilling their responsibilities, or not doing so, is a decision that each person must actively make.

How do you identify a responsible person?

It’s important to know that a responsible person carries out their tasks with diligence, seriousness, and commitment. They know that things must be done well from the beginning to the end.

By teaching your child to be a responsible person, they’ll learn to behave in a way that others can trust them.

How to teach your child the value of responsibility

We’ll give you some recommendations that will help you teach your child to be responsible from a young age and how to fulfill their duties.

Avoid using the punishment model

The best way to teach your child to be a responsible person is to demonstrate it through your behavior. As a parent, it’s important to show them that you are committed to all of your tasks, which will let them know that they need to be responsible, as well.

A child will learn and do what they observe much more quickly than if you tell them to do something. For that reason, aggression and punishment are not the best way to get them to do what you want.

They need to learn to listen and value the opinions of others, just as they value their own opinions. Dialogue, communication, and reason should replace aggression and force.

Avoid the overprotective parent model

Some parents will try to avoid any difficulty that a child may face. They solve all the problems without letting their child realize that there is trouble or an issue to be faced. Unfortunately, this model allows them to grow up thinking that they don’t have to worry about anything.

Teach them to value money

Children begin to understand the value of money from an early age, as well as the responsibility that comes with having it.

There’s a big difference between “need” and “want”. You need to explain to your child that they should buy whatever is necessary and wait a bit to acquire the things that they want. You should plan a budget with your child so they can save for and buy what they want, like a toy.

Recognize responsible behavior in your child

Parents usually comment on a child’s behavior when they’ve done something wrong.

You should always recognize them when they do something responsible, however, to let them know what they’re doing right and commend their efforts.

The importance of responsibility

Finally, parents should remember that teaching their children the importance of responsibility is their job alone. Every child needs a role model, and the one that they see every day is their parents.

As for making decisions, you must teach your child to face problems by themselves. This will help increase their self-esteem and sense of responsibility.