Responsibilities of Family

Responsibility in family. What a fantastic topic. Families come in all shapes, sizes, and varieties.
Cultures and societal norms can play a big part in what defines responsibility in every family. In other words, it can be defined in many ways.

Most can agree that parents have a responsibility to care for their children’s well-being, while children have the responsibility to learn to be responsible family members, good citizens, and demonstrate responsible behaviours.

To enjoy and sustain the family as a primary social group, each member has vital roles to play. The family is the source from which the society takes its root. Children and adults learn responsibilities from home before they go out to the larger society to demonstrate it. An adage says “charity begins at home”.

General Functions of the Family

The following are the general functions of the family:

Procreation: bringing new members of the family into the world for continuity of the family and the society.

Provision: The basic necessities of life such as food, shelter and clothing are provided in the family.

Islamic Beliefs and Faith: To ensure that all members of the family hold the correct beliefs as ordaining in the Sharia and uphold the correct Islamic practises.

Moral Guidance: Training of the children in line with the acceptable norms of the society in good character formation.
Education: Family helps to give formal and informal education to children.

Peaceful Co-existence: Peace in the larger society starts from home. The parents settle disputes that may arise among family members.

Means of Identity: Family name is born by all members of the family which makes them to be different and give due recognition in the society.

Communal life: Members of the family are bond together and see themselves as being bound together by love. They share together in the times of good and bad.

Let`s now take a look at the individual responsibilities of each member of the family.

Roles of the Father in the Family

In the family, the father performs the following roles:

• Providing love and care for the wife and children.
• Ensuring that Islamic principles and beliefs are taught, learnt and adhered to.
• Providing moral guidance for the family.
• Supplying the basic necessities of life such as food, shelter and clothing for the family.
• Providing the children with quality education, both Islamic and secular.
• Ensuring the whole family is comfortable, in accordance with his earnings.
• Protection and security. Father is the chief security officer of the family. He makes sure that all the members of the family are secured from internal and societal dangers.

Roles of the Mother in the Family
She is the Queen of the home. Her responsibilities include:
• Giving birth to children.
• Her lap is regarded as the first madressah of the children
• Cooking and seeing to the family.
• Keeping the house and the surroundings clean.
• Assisting the husband financially when necessary and possible.
• Seeing to the moral education of the children.
• Ensuring peace in the family.
• Ensuring proper hygiene within the family.
• Supervising the children’s home work as well as their activities and play time.

Roles of the Children in the Family
• Obeying the parents and other adults.
• Making sure they carry out their Islamic teachings and practises
• Assisting in performing household chores, particularly in the kitchen, garden and laundry.
• Running errands for older members of the family.
• Maintaining the good tradition of the family.
• Keeping the family name alive.
• Being good representatives of the family in the outside world by protecting the good name of the family.