Taking Responsibility for One's Own Life

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Responsibility is a concept generally tagged towards adults, but during adolescence preteens are introduced to series of tests aimed to prepare them for what is to come. The time frame of middle school to high school shows preteens and teens that they have to make appropriate decisions when situations present themselves in their life. Dealing with responsibility of one’s own life is an ongoing challenge that takes time to get accustomed to. Instances related to adolescents taking responsibility for one’s self are apparent in social aspects, health-related aspects, and academic aspects. Any age bracket has an innate desire to be completely independent from their superior. In terms of young adult literature, “characteristic two: ‘Please, Mother, I Want the Credit!’”(Donelson 29) is applicable to the desires of the reader and especially towards young adults. This characteristic of young adult novels allows the reader to see how the main character(s) deal with situations in which they were once inferior then had to adapt and by default had to take care of themselves. A list of ways to take care of yourself includes “Learn to air your feelings. Avoid comparing yourself with others by admiring their gifts and ignoring your gifts. Form a small group of people you can call on for emotional support. Take time to play. Don’t forget to laugh, especially at yourself. Learn to relax. Protect your right to be human. Learn to say no. Change jobs if you are miserable at work. Stretch your muscles. Practice being a positive, encouraging person. Pay attention to your spiritual life” (Maheu). Bullying is by far one of many tests that come with transitioning from grade school to middle school, middle school to high school and sometimes from high sc... ... middle of paper ... ...le." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 1 Apr. 2011. . Brakman, Anita, Kaiyti Duffy, and Melanie Gold. "New Data Emerge on Teen Sexual Health." Teen Topics. EBSCOhost. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. Donelson, Kenneth L., and Alleen Pace. Nilsen. Literature for Today's Young Adults. 7th ed. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2005. Print. Fitzpatrick, Mark. "Responsibility Lessons for Middle Schools | EHow.com." EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Trusted Advice for the Curious Life | EHow.com. 26 Feb. 2011. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. . Maheu, Marlene M. "12 Suggestions for Taking Care of Yourself | Articles." Self-help from SelfhelpMagazine.com. 23 Apr. 2009. Web. 23 Apr. 2011. .

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