Your kids are growing up and have been begging you for more freedom. They want to stay up later, stay out longer with friends; the list is endless! But the more freedom your kids have, the more responsibility they should take on. An important life lesson every child needs to learn has to do with the relationship between responsibility and accepting the consequences for their choices. Allowing freedom and choice within the limits set by the parent will help develop future responsible adults.
How can you ensure that your kids are being respectful and responsible?
- Create a Parent/Child contract. If you have a contract with your kids, they will know exactly what you expect from them.
- Increase their responsibility at home. Have your kids take on more chores to earn their extra freedom.
- Set consequences with your child’s input in advance of any problems. That will take much of the stress away in the event that your child does need discipline down the line.
It’s important to let your child try again after experiencing consequences for not meeting set expectations. Recognize that sometimes the learning process necessitates repeat attempts.
Have you given your child more freedom recently?
