Exploring various moral values with your child is key to ensuring they make the right choices to be happy and successful throughout life. If your child doesn’t have morals, they will make poor decisions and their life will likely take a more destructive route. For instance, without kindness they won’t be able to build strong relationships and without hard work they won’t be able to succeed in school, or in their career. I have teamed up with a private school in Chelsea to share some examples of moral values you should try to explore with your youngster.
- Respect
Teaching your child to respect others is absolutely crucial. If they don’t treat people with respect, it will be virtually impossible for them to form friendships and stay out of trouble. For instance, if they are disrespectful to their teachers, they will be punished. If they are disrespectful to their classmates, they will struggle to make friends. Focus on the age-old notion that your child should treat people the way they wish to be treated. Explain to them that people should be treated with respect regardless of what they look like, where they live, and what they believe in.
- Honesty
From a young age, your child needs to know that honesty is the best policy. It’s better to own up to one’s mistakes and help rectify them than lie and let someone else take the blame. Teach your child that honest, open communication is key to healthy relationships and is an admirable trait.
- Determination
It’s important for children to learn from a young age that giving up will get them nowhere. Determination is important if they want to do well at something or master a certain skill, even if it feels tough at times. As an example, they may have a challenging piece of schoolwork to complete. If they are not determined and give up at the first sign of trouble, they will certainly receive a poor grade. Putting in the effort and trying their best is more important than the end result.
- Compromise
Help your child understand that they will not always get their own way. The world doesn’t revolve around them and sometimes they will need to adjust and compromise in order to keep the peace and maintain their relationships.
- Helpfulness
Encourage your child to help others wherever possible, even if it’s a complete stranger. Help them see how fortunate they are and teach them to empathise with others who might not have the same opportunities.
These are just a few moral values to get you started. The chances are, you’re probably exploring various others without even realising it, like when you remind your child to say please and thank you, or hold the door for the person behind them.
