He forgot his homework, so he wants you to drive it to school. He hasn’t completed his English paper—will you let him stay home from school until he finishes it?

Sound familiar? Teens aren’t always responsible. But some haven’t ever had to be. Whenever those kids face a problem, their parents try to fix it.

That may solve some problems today. But it will create even bigger problems in the future.

Starting this year, you can help your teen develop the responsibility he’ll need for the rest of his life. Here are some tips:

• Give your teen as much responsibility as you can. Teens need lots of growing room. Whenever you can give your teen a chance to make a decision for himself, do so.
• Help your teen think about consequences. Teens tend to jump in without thinking. Encourage your teen to think about the results of an action before taking it.
• Make a plan. At the beginning of the year, help your teen figure out a schedule. When is the best time to study? Can he play a sport and still hold a job?
• Let your teen learn from experience. Experience is a good teacher. But teens can’t learn the lessons they need if their parents are always there to bail them out. If your teen doesn’t get his paper written on time, let him deal with the teacher and suffer the consequences.

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