Parenting Responsibilities: A List of Parental Responsibilities for Parents

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It seems that there should be a list of instructions or “responsibilities” that parents should receive before heading home from the hospital with their child.  Unfortunately, that doesn't happen.  Worry no more, however.  We’ve compiled a list of parental responsibilities for you!  With that being said, here is our list of important parenting responsibilities:

 This boils down to the basics – food, clothing, and shelter.  

  This means that you should do all that you can to assure that your child is as healthy as humanly possible.  Your child should see a pediatrician (and a dentist) regularly.  Proper medical, dental, and psychological treatment should be sought-after as needed. 

Without these elements in place, your child is sure to “fall apart at the seams.”  Your child needs structure, consistency, and rules that are enforced. 

Affection, attention, and reassurance are key to making your child feel good about himself/herself.  If you aren’t able to provide these then perhaps you should have reconsidered having a child (children). 

In other words, teach your child to be a decent human being!  Reinforce values such as honesty, kindness, dependability, responsibility, empathy, patience, respect, consideration, and loyalty (to name a few).  

Don’t push your political/religious beliefs onto your child.  Sure, it’s okay to expose them to those ideas – but don’t make your child feel as though he/she will not be accepted or loved by being “different’ than what you happen to want or expect from him/her. 

Teach your child to value healthy foods, exercise, and anything that promotes a healthy mind (reading, learning, etc.). 

However, allow for a fair amount of independence (depending on age and level of responsibility).  Your daughter wants to spend the night at a friend’s house – and there are two older teen boys that live there as well?  Might be better to have her and her friend stay at YOUR place instead… 

Sure, he/she might not always deserve it – but don’t allow your own personal “issues” to prevent you from treating your child with a fair amount of respect.  When it comes to children/teens, you are likely to “get back” what you “dish out.”  Be respectful – and maybe you’ll get the same in return. 

So, there you have it…our own personal list of parental responsibilities.  Though there are many more parental responsibilities that could certainly be added – we’ll stick with the ones we’ve got.We hope you can relate to the parenting responsibilities on our list – and that you are ahead of the game when it comes to meeting these goals.  If so, then you are one step ahead!  Congrats!