Parenting with Love and Logic Encourages Responsibility

Published October 14, 2010

The following article was written by Winstead Elementary School Counselor Debra Hadzor.  It is a special feature in conjunction with Character Under Construction.

Parenting with Love and Logic was created by Charles Fay and Dr. Foster W. Cline based on their combined 75 years of experience with children.  It is a common-sense approach with easy to learn skills that create respect, responsibility and good decision making in youth.  Many of the teachers in Williamson County have been trained in the area of Love and Logic.  Many school counselors have also been teaching Love and Logic parenting classes in their schools.  It has been a very successful approach to teaching our children about the importance of responsibility.  Responsibility is one of the core components of the program.  The Love and Logic program teaches that children learn how to be responsible adults through several different steps and tools. 

Step 1 - Children learn by example.  Parents are their first role models so it is important to model responsibility.  When children witness parents doing chores, paying bills, cooking meals and caring for the family pets they begin to understand how each person’s contribution makes the family function well.

Step 2 - Use chores as an opportunity to spend time together and offer them positive feedback for a job well done.  Help them be responsible for taking care of their room, toys and clothes.   Start with small tasks and then gradually increase them.

Step 3 - Pets are a great way for children to understand the importance of being responsible and how it impacts others.  Pets require responsible people to keep them alive and healthy.  Pick an age-appropriate task for your child and make them responsible for getting the task accomplished.

Step 4 - Talk to your children about the benefits of being responsible.  Help them understand the value of being a dependable person.   Let them feel and experience the results of a job well done.  Be consistent with helping them keep their commitments. 

Step 5 - Talk with your children about the importance of the being responsible with our environment.  This is a great way for children to make responsible choices in protecting our planet through recycling and conservation and will give them a greater connection to the world we live in.

Booker T. Washington once said, "Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him and to let him know you trust him.”  Let’s all work together to build a generation of responsible citizens.