As a parent, it's your responsibility to teach your child responsibility. You want to raise your children with good values, and instilling in them the importance of being responsible is a strong foundation upon which to build. Realistically, a younger child won't learn about real responsibilities until that child hits the teen years, but there's no reason you can't start grooming him now. {relatedarticles}Even at a young age a child can contribute around the house. Children as young as two or three can help by picking up toys, setting the table for meals, putting clothes in the hamper and other simple tasks that are age appropriate. Be sure to always praise your children for their efforts and reinforce how much they are helping the rest of the family in helping with the workload.
As the child gets older, he can help with cooking dinner, putting away groceries, doing yard work and doing the laundry. It doesn't hurt to reward your child with an allowance. But responsibility isn't just about chores. Your child should stay on top of his schoolwork. In the evenings, he should get all of his things ready for the following day.{relatedarticles} If your child forgets his homework, let him suffer the consequences. Kids should learn at a young age you won't always be there to clean up the messes - both figuratively and literally. Responsibility goes beyond just having a good work ethic. You also want to teach children to respect others, be honest, use self control and have some principles. It's little things like not calling people names, not littering and so forth. Talk to your child on a regular basis and teach him what's right and wrong. After all, you're the role model.