Tell a Friend Tell a Friend Email This Page to a Friend Email Print This Page Print Fatherhood.org | About Us | Support NFI | FatherSOURCE.org | News | Contact Us How To Raise Responsible Kids As a dad, raising responsible kids is a top priority. We have five things you can do to make sure your kids grow into mature adults. Give Your Kids Responsibility. Give your kids household chores and make sure they get carried out well. This lesson can begin at a young age but can be implemented at any age. Chores don't take the fun out of childhood; they prepare your kids for bigger responsibilities in life and teach valuable skills. Be sure that the chore matches your child’s ability; you want to set them up for success. Clearly Communicate Standards and Expectations.Let your kids know what you expect from them. Communicate that you expect them to do their best in school, or that you want them to try their hardest on the softball field. Don't put pressure on your child and don't expect all kids to achieve the same. But do instill in them the value of hardwork and of aiming for goals. Don't Problem Solve. Resist the urge to problem solve for your toddler, child, teen, or young adult. Children, who have not had the opportunity to practice making their own problem solving decisions, and experiencing the consequences of those decisions, develop an inability to deal with life’s challenges. Do talk with your child about the situation and help to guide him/her to a helpful solution. Be Clear About Right/Wrong. Take the opportunities to teach your children right from wrong when they present themselves. Children need clear directives regarding what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Don’t assume that your child knows where the line is. Having clear rules will guide your child and keep him from consistently testing the limits. Foster Self-Worth. Your child will not take care of herself or her surroundings if she doesn't believe that she is worth taking care of. Praise your kids, tell them what you like about them and how proud you are of them, and let them know how much you love them.