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This article examines the participation and autonomy of children within families in Belgrade, Serbia. Communication and decision-making within families are related to acknowledgment of children's rights to be informed and to take part in making decisions about matters that affect their lives. The precondition of true communication within families is openness or the opportunity to communicate with no restraints and to start conversation on any topic and to express one's opinion freely. There are certain issues, which concern personal choices, where there is more space for children to make decisions. Children have autonomously decided on what extracurricular activities to take, how to arrange their personal space and about their image. When asked how much they participate in household chores, 36 per cent of children declared in the survey that they have one or more than one regular duty. The rest of the children stated that they are more or less often involved in domestic work depending on their willingness and parents' pressure. A very common attitude among parents is that the child should be freed from of household tasks, both work and other obligations. Education is perceived to be the basic interest of children, and accordingly parents free them from household work.