What can we do?

Bringing social responsibility into the home is easier said than done. In the end it comes down to the beliefs and situations of each family, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for unique situations. However, we can pursue change in each involved arena to adjust perceptions and encourage caring actions through three specific avenues: personal responsibility, education and civic engagement.

Personal responsibility
Our primary responsibility is to our own families.  Many therapists, self-help books, and motivational speakers emphasize that we can only be helpful to others when we are healthy ourselves. 

• Take a look around your own home, and analyze whether you have created an environment that supports learning and positive communication with your children. 
• Spend time with your children.  Many families are extremely busy; if you need to schedule them in, do it.  Your children do not care about being good or following rules as much as they care about having fun time with you.  Build loving relationships with your family.
• Find some free moments to browse the resources provided in the sidebar. There you'll find tips, tools, and encouragement for bringing social responsibility into your own home.

Education

• For parents specifically, through workshops, schools, community organizations, and hospitals, not only on how to parent but also on communication and ways in which to involve themselves in community.
• Teachers and school staff require extensive education on parental communication and how to support families without enabling damaging behavior or sacrificing valuable time for classroom responsibilities.
• Law enforcement requires further education on child development and better methods for handling troubled children, especially those who suffer from special needs.
• The community as a whole requires further education on child development issues, special needs, and the state of their local society. One way to pursue this is through enlisting the aid of journalists and publications bringing individual situations to light. The articles regarding the homeless Charleston family showed the amazing impact of successful journalism to changing our society.
• Providing positive role models for families. We can create mentorship programs for new fathers and mothers to support them in parenting, and community events geared towards bringing successful families together with struggling families in a caring environment.
• Education for parents, teachers, and the community on the impact of civic engagement and the laws regarding social responsibility in the home

Civic Engagement

• Lobby for politicians to keep father mentorship and accountability on agendas
• Encourage political representatives to reassess privacy laws so more children can receive assistance
• Pressure businesses and corporations to begin to change the way society views money, with the goal towards an easing of economic struggle
• Make a concentrated effort through our own attitudes and the beliefs represented by political representatives and organizations to change the way society views marriage and gender roles.
• Want to speak your opinion in a socially responsible way?  Contact your Congressional Representative at Congress.org
• Write letters to the media on social responsibility in the home: National media, or your local media (look-up site provided by Congress.org).

Though this is not a comprehensive list, these actions create opportunities to provide individualized attention to families in need. We have many expected outcomes as we strive ahead to place social responsibility back in the home.

Written by Group F