Chapter 1 Personal Development 25
that affect you. Will you choose healthy foods? Will you choose to go to bed early
enough to feel ready for the day? Will you make informed choices about the use of
the Internet or illegal use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs?
You are responsible for the skills you develop. One of your parents may
buy you a guitar and pay for lessons, but you must practice to learn the skill.
The responsibility for learning to play the guitar is up to you.
You are responsible for the choices you make. When making decisions,
you must consider how they will affect yourself and others. For instance,
suppose you promised your youth group that you would help them collect
donations for a local community shelter on Saturday. Instead of helping them,
however, you chose to go to a movie with some friends. To be responsible,
it is important to follow through with what you say you are going to do.
Otherwise, people may feel as though they cannot count on you.
Responsibilities at Home
As a member of a family, you have
certain responsibilities. Your parents
may expect you to help with some of
the housework. They also expect you
to follow family rules. You may be
responsible for getting home by a certain
time in the evening. If you are going to
be late, you might be expected to call so
others will not worry about your safety.
Some of your responsibilities
at home may include cleaning your
room and taking care of your clothes.
You may care for a younger brother
or sister after school. If there is a new
baby in the family, you may have
even more responsibilities. You may
also need to prepare some of the
family’s meals, 1-17. As you handle
these tasks, you show you are ready
to take on other responsibilities.
Each added responsibility you accept
shows you are maturing.
The amount of responsibility you
are given is determined by how well you
handle those you already have. If your
parents and other adults see that you
show good judgment, you will probably
be able to make more decisions. For
instance, your parents may notice you
always complete your homework and
maintain good grades. Knowing this,
they may allow you to schedule your
own study time. On the other hand,
1-17 As you get older, you may be responsible for
preparing meals for the family.
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