The teenage years are an important time for an adolescent to learn how to manage various aspects of a home, whether that’s chores, maintenance, cooking, scheduling, keeping track of garbage day, and more.
Some teenagers are never faced with these responsibilities, and they end up having a huge wake up call when they enter the “real world” and live on their own.
It’s a good idea to introduce increasing levels of responsibilities as a child grows, and to continue this into their teenage years.
There are certain doors that will be unlocked by the government, like certain ages where teens have more freedom according to the law, but parents can also draw their own lines.
As teenagers are given more responsibilities at home, it’s important to also give them new privileges to accompany the added responsibilities. It can help teach them the importance of doing what they need to do, and understanding that you have to earn privileges in the home.
For example, if a teen is allowed to stay out later on a weekend as a privilege, they might have a responsibility to call home at some point and check in.
What are a teenager’s responsibilities at home?
The responsibilities of a teenager at home are to keep their area in order, to be respectful of the rest of the home, to be considerate, and to help out when it’s needed.
A teenager’s responsibilities are important because…
- Rules exist for a reason: To be more specific, good rules exist for a reason. Rules are easier to follow when they make sense to a teenager, who has already has a natural inclination to rebel.
- They learn to follow the house rules: Every home has their own rules, whether they’re explicitly set out or just kind of a mutual understanding that everyone has. Here’s more information about setting house rules for teenagers.
- Structure matters: Structure is an important part of life, and it’s a great habit to develop from an early age. Teenagers who grow up with structure may have an easier time maintaining it later in life, and that’s a huge victory for a parent who wants the best for their teens.
The specific responsibilities of a teenager will vary from household to household. In some homes, a teen might be expected to do more, whereas in some homes they won’t.
There isn’t really a right or wrong answer, but there are two main objectives when determining the responsibilities of a teenager at home.
The first objective is that everything which needs to be done in the home should be taken care of. Some families might have both parents, and a housekeeper who handles certain things, maybe the mom or dad stays home and works around the house, and there just might not be as much for the teenager to do.
Whereas in another home, maybe it’s a single-parent home with five kids and the teenager needs to help raise their siblings, help around the house a lot, and eventually contribute to the bills by getting a job and helping pay for rent, utilities, and groceries.
The second objective is that your teenager learns the necessary life skills to get them through life without driving their future partners insane, and most importantly just being able to take care of themselves and to avoid common pitfalls that happen when people aren’t prepared for life or for “adulting”.
Setting Responsibilities For Your Teenager at Home
Keep the two objectives that are outlined above in mind when you’re coming up with responsibilities for your teenage.
Their responsibilities at home should be things that are essential for the home to run smoothly, and also things that are essential for them to learn as life skills and to develop as habits.
With those two objectives as your guiding light, you’ll be able to come up with useful, effective, and important guidelines for your teenager.
Remember to have reasonable expectations for teenagers, you don’t want to set the bar so high that they’ll always feel like they’re coming up short.
What is The Role of a Teenager in a House?
A teenager’s role will vary from home to home, just like their responsibilities. A teen’s role includes becoming responsible for themselves, taking care of themselves and their family members, working hard on their school work, and to find time to enjoy themselves, too!
A teen’s role in the house is to build character, learn, make mistakes, discover themselves, build friendships, and more.
Finally, a teenager should start thinking abut their future, at least a bit, and ensuring that they’re going to be in a good position later in life to run their own home, help out their parents or other family members, and to rise up to any of life’s many challenges.
Final Thoughts on the Responsibilities of a Teenager at Home
There’s no right and wrong answer here that covers everything for every household. Be thoughtful when you’re establishing expectations, and remember that teenagers are going to push boundaries sometimes and they’re going to struggle with authority.
Sometimes, your teenagers are going to fall short of meeting their responsibilities and it’s up to you to determine how you want to handle that. Just be mindful, show them some leeway and grace, but also be firm when it really matters. It’s not always easy, but you’ve got this.
