Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The best way for parents to teach their children about responsibility is to have them care for an animal.

Personally I highly doubt that caring for an animal has anything to do with “responsibility”. Or at least I hardly believe it is the “best way” for parents to do it.

To be responsible is to do what one has promised. Responsibility definitely are more related with a rational decision before action and a strong mind of carrying out a schedule and of keeping every disturbance which may turn a plan involving with other people into invalidity than “caring” for a lovely small piece of creature.

There are way too many methods of teaching children how to be reponsible. I would prefer negative stimulus in the early education. Kids need a clear line which they could never cross. When kids are told and agree not to speak loudly in public area such a bookstore or a hospital, they should also be informed the result they would face if they broke their words. It will definitely set up a protocol for them to follow in their later life.

I also believe that telling stories of heroes to children is a better way. Stories might be a bit exaggerated or extorted, but they certainly would set up a sense of discipline, bravery and responsibility. When I was little, my father read a story to me. It is about historians’ spirit. So in ancient time, literally three thousand years ago, historian was considered a noble job. Historians’ duty was to record what was happening in the court and the job was hereditary. So the tyrant of Qi State murdered the old king and threatened the royal historians not to record the misdeed. Otherwise he would be killed. That noble man, without hesitating, wrote down the fact and he was slaughtered. So was his brothers and sons, who served as royal historians as well and who never feared of death and power. I was so inspired by these great human minds and learnt the best lesson so far which taught me that the meaning of life is to reach out for truth as near as you can. When I chose to major in history in college, those stories still had placed huge impact upon my behavior and thoughts. And during the past two decades, I never heard any silly words that told me how to “care an animal”.

Responsibility is about humanity. Caring an animal is such a bourgelois cliche that a certain amount of people might not feel comfortable with. I am pretty sure a more focus on human mind is more effective in teaching kids what responsibility really is than petting a dog.