I happened on the Responsibility Project this morning, after an Internet marketer mentioned their effective Google advertising in an e-mail.

Teen Abandons Baby
Teen gives away baby at bus stop
Responsible? Read & share your view
www.ResponsibilityProject.com

Yup, that’s effective. Anyway, I joined. If you haven’t already, do check it out. The site is sponsored by Liberty Mutual and sends out McLuhanesque-type “probes” to get people talking about the responsible thing to do in different situations. Some recent ones: the single mom who let her 9-year-old travel the New York subway alone; parents who spy on their kids; fertility treatments for an instant family; and the guy who wouldn’t keep his comments to himself at the gym. Most of the posters are thoughtful too.

There was also the opportunity to recommend resources so I sent them the link to my website.  Basically, thinking and responsibility go hand in hand. You can’t teach responsibility without loosening the reins and letting kids think for themselves in situations that will actually teach them something.