Teaching Your Children Responsibility,

1. What is "Teaching Your Children Responsibility" by Linda and Richard Eyre about?

• Comprehensive parenting guide: The book provides a structured approach to teaching children responsibility, focusing on practical methods and family traditions.
• Four dimensions of responsibility: It organizes responsibility into four main areas: to parents (obedience), to God (stewardship), to self (discipline), and to others (service).
• Sequential learning: The Eyres advocate teaching joy (ages 0-6), responsibility (ages 4-12), and charity (ages 10-16) in overlapping, age-appropriate phases.
• Action-oriented program: Rather than just theory, the book offers actionable strategies, games, stories, and family focal points to help parents implement responsibility-building habits.
• Faith-based perspective: The book is rooted in Christian principles, emphasizing stewardship, agency, and eternal family goals.

2. Why should I read "Teaching Your Children Responsibility" by Linda and Richard Eyre?

• Practical, proven methods: The book is filled with real-life examples, step-by-step methods, and family-tested activities that make teaching responsibility manageable and effective.
• Addresses modern parenting challenges: It tackles common issues like entitlement, lack of follow-through, and inconsistent discipline with clear solutions.
• Focus on long-term outcomes: The Eyres aim to help parents raise not just good children, but future good parents, emphasizing generational impact.
• Customizable for your family: The program is flexible, allowing parents to adapt methods to their unique family dynamics and each child’s personality.
• Faith and values integration: For those seeking to instill spiritual and moral values alongside practical skills, the book offers a holistic approach.

3. What are the key takeaways from "Teaching Your Children Responsibility" by Linda and Richard Eyre?

• Responsibility is taught, not innate: Children become responsible through intentional teaching, example, and consistent follow-through.
• Sequence matters: Teaching responsibility in the right order—obedience, stewardship, self-discipline, and service—builds a strong foundation.
• Family culture is crucial: Traditions, family laws, and regular councils create an environment where responsibility can thrive.
• Ownership and consequences: Children learn best when they have ownership over their things and actions, and experience natural consequences.
• Consistency and example: Parental consistency and modeling are essential; children do what is truly expected of them.

4. How do Linda and Richard Eyre define "responsibility" in "Teaching Your Children Responsibility"?

• Responsibility is relational: It always involves being responsible to someone (parent, God, self, others) and for something (actions, things, work, gifts).
• More than chores: Responsibility goes beyond tasks like putting away pajamas; it encompasses maturity, stewardship, discipline, and service.
• Cause of maturity: The Eyres argue that responsibility is not the result of maturity, but the cause of it.
• Levels of responsibility: The book outlines a progression: obedience (to parents), stewardship (to God), discipline (to self), and service (to others).
• Foundation for life: Responsibility is framed as the essence of the mortal test and a prerequisite for joy and charity.

5. What is the sequence for teaching responsibility in "Teaching Your Children Responsibility" by Linda and Richard Eyre?

• Start with obedience: Teach children to be responsible to parents through obedience, care for things, and participation in family work.
• Move to stewardship: As children mature, introduce responsibility to God—accountability for actions, gifts, and spiritual guidance.
• Develop self-discipline: Encourage responsibility to self, focusing on choices, character, and reaching personal potential.
• Culminate in service: The highest level is responsibility to others, teaching children to serve, contribute, and care for those around them.
• Follow age-appropriate overlaps: The Eyres recommend focusing on joy (0-6), responsibility (4-12), and charity (10-16), with natural overlaps.

6. What practical methods do Linda and Richard Eyre recommend for teaching obedience and family laws in "Teaching Your Children Responsibility"?

• Family law chart: Create simple, clear family laws with input from children, including agreed-upon consequences for breaking them.
• Trigger words: Use consistent signals (like “please” from parents and “Yes, Mommy/Daddy” from children) to reinforce obedience.
• Role-playing and stories: Use stories like “Cheekey and the Laws” and role-playing to help children understand the purpose and benefits of rules.
• Family councils: Hold regular meetings to discuss, revise, and recommit to family laws and mutual promises.
• Consistency is key: Enforce laws and consequences reliably to build trust and predictability.

7. How does "Teaching Your Children Responsibility" by Linda and Richard Eyre address responsibility for things and money?

• Ownership principle: Children value and care for things more when they feel true ownership, often by earning or working for them.
• Simplification: Reduce clutter and excess; fewer, higher-quality possessions make responsibility more manageable.
• Creative systems: Use methods like the “Gunny Bag” (a playful way to collect left-out items) and “things-on-the-bed” to reinforce tidiness.
• Early financial responsibility: Encourage children to earn, save, and manage their own money from a young age, using family banks and interest incentives.
• Modeling and example: Parents should demonstrate care for their own things and involve children in routines of order and maintenance.

8. What strategies do Linda and Richard Eyre suggest for teaching children the value of work in "Teaching Your Children Responsibility"?

• Family job charts and peg boards: Assign daily and weekly jobs, track completion visually, and celebrate progress.
• Make work enjoyable: Use games, music, and positive attitudes to make chores fun and fulfilling.
• Natural consequences: Occasionally “take the day off” from chores to let children experience the results of neglected work.
• Connect work to rewards: Differentiate between regular family responsibilities (done for satisfaction) and extra jobs (which can earn money).
• Teach by example: Parents should work alongside children, demonstrating pride and satisfaction in a job well done.

9. How does "Teaching Your Children Responsibility" by Linda and Richard Eyre incorporate spiritual responsibility and stewardship?

• Responsibility to God: Teach children that they are stewards over their bodies, gifts, and the earth, accountable to God for their use.
• Age of accountability: Emphasize the significance of baptism (age eight) as a transition to personal accountability before God.
• Love and positive fear: Instill both love for God and a healthy, respectful fear of disappointing Him, leading to true respect and responsibility.
• Repentance and restitution: Use real-life situations to teach children about making amends, repenting, and seeking forgiveness.
• Gratitude and prayer: Regularly express gratitude for God’s gifts and encourage children to pray for guidance and help in their responsibilities.

10. What are the key methods for developing self-discipline and potential in children according to "Teaching Your Children Responsibility" by Linda and Richard Eyre?

• Goal setting: Hold weekly “Sunday sessions” where each child sets and reviews personal goals, fostering self-motivation.
• Advance decisions: Help children make important decisions in advance (e.g., about honesty, substance use), increasing their ability to stand firm under pressure.
• Five-facet reviews: Regularly discuss each child’s progress in physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual areas to identify strengths and areas for growth.
• Consistent routines: Establish predictable schedules for meals, chores, homework, and practice to build habits of discipline.
• Praise effort, not just results: Reinforce the value of trying and improving, not just achieving perfection.

11. How does "Teaching Your Children Responsibility" by Linda and Richard Eyre teach children to serve others and develop Christlike responsibility?

• Responsibility for siblings: Assign older children meaningful roles in caring for and teaching younger siblings, fostering leadership and empathy.
• Service traditions: Create family traditions of service, such as “secret service” projects, charity concerts, and helping neighbors.
• Perspective and empathy: Use stories, sponsorship of needy children, and discussions about global needs to broaden children’s awareness and compassion.
• Contribution mindset: Encourage children to see their gifts and talents as tools for blessing others, not just themselves.
• Family symbols and mottos: Use visual reminders (like a family flag or motto) to reinforce the family’s commitment to service and contribution.

12. What are the most memorable quotes from "Teaching Your Children Responsibility" by Linda and Richard Eyre, and what do they mean?

• “Responsibility is not the result of maturity, but the cause of it.” – Teaching responsibility is what helps children grow up, not something to wait for until they’re “ready.”
• “The goal of good parents is to turn children into good parents.” – The ultimate aim is to raise children who will perpetuate strong values and responsibility in the next generation.
• “Children do exactly what is really expected of them.” – Parental expectations, when genuine and consistent, shape children’s behavior more than words alone.
• “If we do the organizing and establish the order, then all that is in between will follow.” – Creating structure and routines in the home lays the groundwork for spiritual and personal growth.
• “The most beautiful of all forms of give-and-take is when one takes the responsibility to give.” – True fulfillment comes when children learn to contribute to others, not just receive.