Let us begin with this question; as a parent, are you raising responsible children? Are your adolescent children able to take responsibility for their actions? Do they have enough skills and knowledge required to make reasonable decisions? Do you think they will be responsible enough to live life independently and successfully when the time comes?
The age and development of children is transitional, and each stage comes with physical, neurological,
cognitive, and psychological developments. During these developmental stages, nature prepares children from one stage to another. Parents do the next preparation of raising the children, and children are expected to take over this responsibility of nurturing their physical and mental mind, for the rest of their lives.
While nature definitely does its part, sometimes the parents or the child or both fail in this responsibility. Parents have the authority to help their children gain the skills of taking responsibility by themselves. This can be achieved by gradually adding responsibility to their children’s lives. From giving them age appropriate chores, to including them in some family decision making, to making them contribute to the ongoing activities and functions of the family, to allowing them make mistakes and learn from it, to cease shielding them from disappointments, pain and frustration.
Parents must not always be involved or try to always’rescue’ their children, especially the adolescent ones from facing the consequences of their actions or mistakes because it may make them shut down and start dodging their responsibility. Therefore, while parents need to establish rules and expectations for their children, they must balance it with the autonomy that children need to foster responsibility and be well prepared for the future.
Children and youths must learn to be mindful of their actions, take responsibility of their actions, accept mistakes, set achievable goals, spend prudently, control their emotions, stop repeated procrastination, stop excuses, do age appropriate tasks and do them without being prompted, learn self control, be determined to succeed, stop the blame factor, stop feeling entitled, stop abuse of any form and stay true to their words. Taking responsibility involves a lot, and one who lacks responsibility lacks integrity, good character, and morals. These attributes are the price of greatness encompassed in taking responsibility.
According to Robert Welch, the real freedom of any individual can always be measured by the amount of responsibility which he must assume for his own welfare and security. Unfortunately, children nowadays gain freedom but lack responsibility, hence the prevalence of juvenile delinquency in today’s society.
We all have work to do on earth, and they are our responsibilities. Humanity needs the abilities of everybody, young and old, to take responsibility. Every generation needs to live up to their responsibility, for their sake, and for the sake of the next generation.
BIBLE VERSE
Ezra 10:4
Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act.”
PROVERB
At whatever age a child gets a problem, at the same age, she has to shoulder the responsibility
Igbo Proverb
RIDDLE
Some people want to share it, but often not enough people own it. Some people give it away any chance they get it
What is it?
Amara Ann Unachukwu
