For those of you that have had children......

I think you are always preparing your kids for the future. My boys will have a choice either school or work but to be in my house they will do one or the other. As for bailing them out of jail or trouble, these are my children and I will ALWAYS be there for them regardless of what they are confronted with

I think it should start from when they are very young...My kids are almost 13 and 14 1/2 and both have known how to cook with the oven and stovetop for about 3 or 4 yrs now..they both know how to manage money (though that doesnt mean they always do with their allowance LOL), they clean, do laundry and so on....I dont think there is an age too young really to get the ball rolling...Teaching a tot for example to be somewhat independant is a good thing and very doable..When I say independant I mean at that age, them not always relying on you being there..them learning to be comfortable with someone else for example..realizing that you are NOT the end all be all, only one they can count on...My kids HAD to learn that when they were tots becasue I was a single parent who not only worked full time but also went to school...

I think there are many things you can do to start "preparing" them for life on their own when they are very young. They need to know how to cook - teach them to cook with you when they are little. Laundry, same thing, they can help. You also have to start making them responsible for their own actions at a young age so they stay on the right paths. They'll need these basic skills so when you do cut the apron strings they will be ready for that.

You start from the time they are born, preparing them for what the world will throw at them, you just have to choose what time is right to teach them which life lessons, and some of them they will learn on their own or from others. I dunno if any of us are truely ever prepared for the harsh cold realities of the world when we first step out into it on our own, but As parents we just gotta do the best we can do to prepare them.. And if they slip up, and they gotta come back home for a bit, as long as they are continuing to try and contribute once they are done school, then so be it. As your job as a parent is NEVER EVER EVER done!! You will always be their parent, and they will always be your children, even when they are adults!

You start preparing your kids for the future from the day they are born. You teach them right from wrong you teach them how to dress themselves how to eat etc. You teach them how to make choices and hope they make the right ones but are there for them when they make the wrong ones and help them learn why the choice was wrong. I will always be there for my children no matter what as they are my children my parents were always there for me when I needed them.

I have 3 kids and started preparing them as soon as they started to realize what money is. My oldest is 15 and she already know how to get the best deals and how to make her money go as far as possible. My 9 year old is the same way as my oldest.

It depends on social customs and family traditions and also opportunities. In India, it is not common for 12-16 to work part time for lucrative earning or substantial earning to stand on one's own. There are newspaper boys, milk distributors who earn money for the family, besides studying. It is generally expected between 20-24 is the right right age for a person to steady himself into responsible living. In India, most youngsters hang on to the parents till they find a suitable job and continue to stay with the family even after securing a job and getting married. This could be attributed to all or some of the following: 1. They would like to stay with the family 2. They cannot afford independent earning sufficient enough to take care of the family. 3. In villages, they stay closer because each household is a work-a-horse in the fields so even after marriage, they stay together. In cities, youngsters go to evening or morning classes and take up the job during day time. They give 20 to 30% of the salary to the parents and the rest keep it for themselves for their personal expenditure. In cities it is easier to find jobs with handful money and hence less dependence on parents.

I found it easier to wait until they were in their last year of high school. All of them went away to college and I felt the need to warn them about life in general and the fact they were away from home and were responsible for their own actions. They learned alot being away from home and to be responsible adults. Two of them came back home after completing college but one just moved on with her life and never returned here. I did make our kids work while in high school and college, part time. Just to get a feel of what life is really like out there and to have spending money. That was a good idea. After working for fast food restaurants, they realized how important education is so they could make a good living and be on their own. Little bit of independence there..lol And I can tell you that life is fun and interesting with no children at home. The freedom is remarkable. I work when I want, shop when I want, go to the casino when I want and don't have to worry about kids being here alone. We have grandkids now but they live in another state so we don't do any babysitting. I'm certainly enjoying my freedom.

I kept hoping my sons would leave home and get married. They did not until their late twenties. I left home at eighteen, mind you I was sort of thrown out, but one son finally got an apartment, and got married, and my other son had to save for a house and my husband did not think it was right to charge rent for them because of them going to University. If we had had a daughter, he would have charged them. He was so much like my father. I would say any age 18 or older if they have a good job and are responsible.

Why wait til they are 16? I started when my kids were about 10. I taught them how to do laundry and cook, my son began learning about car maintenance, etc. I wanted my daughter to know that she didn't have to be "just a housewife", that she could go to college and be independent. I taught my son that he can do things on his own and doesn't need a wife to take care of him.

I think it's a constant thing and it's never too early to teach them responsibility. It's just a matter of what kind of responsibility. As soon as my kids can follow direction, I tell them what to do and guide them on how to do it well. I let them help me set the table, clean their mess, etc. and I think that sets a good foundation for them and lets them know that there are roles for everyone. The older they grow, the more responsibilities will be passed onto them so that they don't have to rely on us for everything. And I agree, the day that they're old enough for my husband and I to take a vacation together is a day I look forward to!

you should be able to leave them at home at the age of 16 i think.I think they would be able to take care of themselves for a week or 2.And at 14 i think you should teach them about there duties.