Take time for training and teaching the child essential skills and habits. Don't attempt to train a child in a moment of conflict or in company. Never do for a child what he can do for himself. A dependent child is a demanding child. Children become irresponsible only when we fail to give them opportunities to take on responsibility.
Overprotection pushes a child down.
When parents begin to have faith that their children can behave in a responsible way, while allowing them to do so, the children will assume their own responsibilities. Over-responsible parents often produce irresponsible children. Parents who take on the responsibility of the child by reminding or doing for him, encourage the child to be irresponsible. Distinguish between positive and negative attention if you want to influence children's behavior. Feeling unable to gain positive attention, and regarding indifference as intolerable, children resort to activities which get them negative attention.