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Teens views: Should you earn responsibility?
Results so far:
| Yes | 77% | 89 votes | Total: 115 votes | |
| No | 23% | 26 votes |
Yes
by Stan Rezaee
Created on: October 03, 2009
The teenage years is a time when a child begins the journey into adulthood. Its during this journey that they will learn many lessons of life be it of career, personal emotions, and life management. The best way a teen could learn these skills is by being entrusted with the responsibility with in their upbringing.
When responsibility is used as a reward and collateral in a teens life, they will begin to understand what being an adult is all about. As they develop over time, they will try to earn responsibility with ethics along with hard work (be it home and school) which overtime could evolve in the real world of the individual.
The adults in the teens life must set the rules of life and expect the teen to follow them with integrity. The teen receives some responsibility if they behave, stay out of trouble, do good in school, etc. After receiving the responsibility, the teen will then try and protect the newly gained rights among the adults. This means they have to be smart and not do anything to jeopardize losing the responsibility or be good and "cleaning up" after themselves.
This upbringing will teach the teen about responsibility and the consequences of life. They will learn how to be responsible adults when they have been given a trust and are at risk of losing it. The responsibilities at home teach what to expect in life while school prepares them for the work environment.
However if the teens were to act in a dishonest manner, their punishment of losing responsibility will reflect of what would happen in the real world. Schools do an excellent job of creating this kind of environment for a teen while the home life would be all based on the teens parents. Spoiled teens will learn nothing except the taste of a silver spoon while responsible teens will learn of life.
But its a different situation with the law. Parents and Schools will punish a teen by taking their responsibility, but if the teen has gotten into trouble with the law then they are going to learn a hard lesson. Depending on the crime, the teens history, the prosecution and judge; the outcome will differ for each person but with a tainted reputation for life.
If teens were allowed to earn greater responsibility then in the end they will be more prepared for the responsibilities of the future and are whiling to take it on with high standards.
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No
by Meggg
Created on: November 13, 2009
Responsibility shouldn't be earned. Being responsible is something that a teenager needs to do by him or herself. Responsibility can be taught, shown, and observed, but not earned. Therefore, I think that teenagers should not have to earn responsibility; it should be given to them. Teenagers need to learn how to manage responsibility, and if they have to earn it, they are not being trusted.
Not trusting a teenager can be one of the most devastating things for them. To show them that they are trusted, and give them responsibility, they will react better with it then if they had to earn it. If a teen has to earn responsibility then he or she may be more likely to want to rebel against the force that made them earn it.
Teenagers want nothing more than freedom, and if that freedom is given to them, they will most likely react responsibly with it. Also, this is a specific case where when given a little, a lot is returned. Giving teens a little freedom and responsibility will be returned with gratitude and a greater appreciation for that responsibility. Giving responsibility is a way of teaching the teen something more valuable than the responsibility itself, it teaches them how to build a trusting relationship. Also, it teaches them bonding and positive interaction.
Many people believe that giving a teen responsibility without them having to earn it is not teaching them the value of hard work and meeting expectations. However, they can exceed expectations if they are given the responsibility and entrusted to use it wisely. Teens like to be given chances, and giving them a chance to be responsible will help them prove to you how responsible they can be.
Earning responsibility is a good idea, but giving it is an even better one. Giving responsibility, and showing that the bond between the teen and parent or guardian is strong will help both of them to grow together. This bond is always important in helping the teen build relationships with the outside world.
Helping teenagers to realize their full potential through believing in them, trusting them, and giving them responsibility will help them succeed in the long run. These things will assist in making them a successful adult and one that can manage expectations effectively. It will also benefit them in creating good relationships with others by teaching them to trust others the way they were trusted. Teenagers greatly appreciate having responsibility given to them, and it is beneficial to them in many ways.
Learn more about this author, Meggg.
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