Responsibility is something that can be taught to any child, at any age. It is important to focus on the aspects of responsibility that can be taught to any child. Teaching children responsibility will make a world full of adults who care more about the world around them and who are willing to take responsibility for their actions.

There are a number of ways on how to teach responsibility. First and foremost, show each child respect. Showing a child respect is the first step in showing him that he should care about the world around him. Show him respect each time that you deal with him.

The second most important thing is model responsible behavior. As a teacher or a parent, own up to the things that you do and what your responsibilities are. Clean up messes that you make. Take care of the things that you own, and make sure that the children see you doing this. Take pride in the world around you, and take responsibility for your actions by talking about what you have done, what the outcome was, and how you are changed because of it.

Next is explain to children that each action they make has a consequence, whether it is good or bad. Tell them that each thing they do has an effect on someone else and on the world around them. Explain to them that taking responsibility is recognizing what happens because of their actions, and seeing how that affects them.

In addition, have a child take care of something. Whether this is a plant or a small animal, show them how the thing depends on them for survival and tell them that it is their responsibility to help the thing survive and thrive. This will help you show the child that they are responsible for things.

Lastly, create consequences that make sense. You should have children responsible for their actions in a way that they can logically connect. Making a mess would have the consequence of cleaning that mess up.

By: Elmer A. Baracao | Teacher II | Mariveles National High School Poblacion | Mariveles, Bataan