Accountability and Responsibility (cont.)

Well by the time our children are 16 years and older the expectations for them taking on more responsibility and being more accountable is a lot greater.

Many are taking on jobs. They are now accountable and more responsible because of their jobs.They have more spending money and less reliant on the parents for money.

I recently heard some stories of people getting jobs (sometimes through parent's friends/acquaintances) andworking for a short while and then either quitting abruptly or just not showing up for work. A few months later they are asking for help in getting another job. This is where we have failed in teaching lessons on responsibilty and accountability, when they feel they can simply pack up without notice and expect to get another job whenever they want it.

At school, it is their responsibilty to get things done and handed in. (We want to know if things are not going well so we can provide support but it is not our role to be taking on the responsibilty for their work, assignments or even getting them to school.)

Listening to our children at this stage and providing some feedback—being a sounding board—is what is requirted. Often at this time, we as parents try to step back completely. We still need, as in all the other stages, to be there for our children. They need to know we are there for them.