Responsibility II

A recent article in Child Development (Vol. 80, Issue 1, How Adolescents Come to See Themselves as More Responsible through Participation in Youth Programs) highlights the importance of work for developing a sense of responsibility in our youth.

The researchers surveyed over 100 high school-age teens about their summer experiences. Those teens who participated in programs that asked them to carry out demanding tasks and held them accountable for their work were most successful in learning responsibility.

It mattered not what skills were learned. Rather,

programs in which young people are called to perform tasks that were boring, difficult, or obligatory were most likely to develop characteristics like responsibility and self-descipline.

We can expect far more from our teens than society would have us believe. They are truly young adults and capable of participating in the adult world. Hand-in-hand with privileges go responsibilities. You'll be surprised at the results.