Responsibility can help your middle schooler fulfill potential
Boost your child’s sense of responsibility and you’ll help your middle schooler succeed inside the classroom and out.
To instill this quality:
· Talk about it. Middle schoolers are responsible for their attitudes and the decisions they make. If things are going wrong, talk about how your child’s choices might have contributed to the situation. Your child may be surprised to find out that even little things, like choice of words, tone of voice or body language, influence the way things will turn out.
· Reinforce it. Insist that your child take responsibility for actions. That means allowing your middle schooler to experience the consequences of those actions. For example, don’t take forgotten homework or lunch to school over and over again.
· Advocate for it. Tell your child that you value responsible traits like self-control and persistence. When your child demonstrates those qualities, point them out and offer praise.
· Model it. Let your child see you taking responsibility for your mistakes. Your actions speak volumes. “I left my gardening tools out in the rain, and now they are rusted. I should have been more responsible.” Your admission will teach your child more than one hour of lecturing would.
Reprinted with permission from Parents Still make the difference!® newsletter. Copyright © 2025 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: M. Josephson and others, Parenting to Build Character in Your Teen, Boys Town Press.