Responsibility - Where responsibility lies

Responsibility exists everywhere, but we'll focus on the main responsibilities of a parent.

Becoming a parent is a massive responsibility that parents take on until their child becomes an adult.

Depending on cultural and legal systems, the age of responsibility is defined differently and is determined by society's values.

The responsibility landscape regarding parenting is rich and diverse, with many thoughts and perspectives. Here are some that come to mind.

Love

Every child needs love.

Some parents have expectations of their children, and if they discover that their children don't hold the same beliefs as they do and reject them because of them, it can cause enormous damage to their children.

What comes to mind for me is watching a show on TV about an adult son who was gay. His parents held strong religious beliefs; it was their way or highway.

They wanted their son in their lives but only under certain conditions - no discussing his lifestyle, not wanting to meet his lifetime partner and other demands.

Children come into our lives and are part of our personal growth and development.

Your child helps you deepen and strengthen your character traits - patience, responsibility, self-discipline, gentleness and more. You grow as they grow.

Care

Some parents bond immediately with their newborn, while others might take longer. There is no right or wrong. We're all different, and that's OK.

Self-awareness and recognising what is happening in your situation is essential.

Remove expectations you have of yourself or those placed on you by others.

If you need help or want to talk to someone about your situation, there are always people or organisations that will support you.

Get the ball rolling and ask for the help you need, whatever that involves.

Protect

In today's world, protecting your child online and offline is more complex and challenging.

You must constantly check in with your child and discuss the difference between secrets and surprises.

Determining what boundaries to implement and ensuring you stick to them matters.

In a recent article, I was reading how abuse from child to child is more prevalent because of what children access online these days.

Matthew McConaughey didn't let his son have a social media account until he was 15, even though the official age for an account was 13.

As Pink stated, there's a light side and a shadow side to technology, and while her daughter stated that all the other kids have a phone, Pink said, 'I don't care' and that it 'doesn't move her needle'. She's solid and firm.

Every family has different boundaries, and this is what children need to understand. My mum used to ask me if Joe Blow ran off the cliff, would I follow?

Some parents limit screen time and have rules about technology at the table or while on holidays.

Empower

Knowledge is power. Help your child grasp concepts, or find someone who can help them. Every topic has 'the basics', such as reading, writing, and maths.

Children, like us, either like a topic or they don't. The topics they like are because they are good at them. Like you, your child doesn't like the subjects they feel they aren't good at. It's because they don't understand them.

Growth

Personal growth is easy when a child understands the character qualities inside them.

As your child faces challenging situations and is familiar with their strengths and weaknesses, they innately know what they must dig deep for. These character traits are their tool bag.

Eventually, they realise the power within them, their choices, and how they feel about those choices. They learn to like and love themselves regardless of external influences.

What is best for your family and child for each area mentioned above?