5 Moral Values To Explore With Your Child

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As anyone with children will know, parenting is multifaceted. It’s more than simply putting a roof over your child’s head and ensuring that they eat well. In addition to providing them with the necessities they need, it's also up to us a parents or carers to guide them in the right direction to becoming a good, kind person. This in turn will help them as they grow through life, using the skills and morals they learn to become more successful, both in school and in terms of their relationships and other aspects of their personal lives.

As one of the most influential people in your child’s life, the impact you have on the sort of person they become is paramount. With this in mind, here are some suggestions to explore various moral values with your children, as discussed below by an independent school in Buckinghamshire. 

Treat others with respect 

You will have heard the term “respect your elders”, but it is important to stress to your children that they should respect everyone, not just people that are older than them. Explore the concept that all people are equal and should be treated with kindness, despite their age, social class, skin colour, religious beliefs, and any other differences. 

Never take what isn’t yours 

Teaching your children not to steal might seem like an obvious life lesson, but it actually takes a fairly long time for kids to comprehend the fact that not everything belongs to them. With that said, it’s important to teach your children not to take anything if it doesn’t belong to them, unless they have been given permission by the owner. 

This obviously applies to items in shops, but also to other children’s toys etc. Let your youngster know that if they are ever caught stealing something, they could be in big trouble and the upset this might cause the person who had their item stolen. 

Always remember your manners 

Leading by example is one of the key ways we as parents can help to teach our children good manners and moral values. It’s important to always remind your child to say please and thank you and the best way to do this is leading my example. If your child forgets you could kindly prompt with a "thank you" which may rejog your child's memory to do the same. 

It can also help to explain to children that if they are polite and have good manners, people will be more likely to want to spend time with them and see them as a friendly and kind person. Of course we shouldn't put too much pressure on our children though, after all these are skills that are learnt over time and will come eventually.

Show determination in everything you do 

Determination is both a value and skill that can help our children right the way through childhood and into adulthood too. Both public and private schools encourage determination as an important moral value. It is something that you can explore with your kids from a very young age by providing them with honest, constructive feedback. Teaching our children to be more determined in things such as work or sports activities can help them push harder and increase their confidence too. 

Constant praise may not help them learn from their mistakes, but gentle, supportive advice can increase their determination to succeed. Another way to explore determination is to encourage your child to try new things, even if this doesn’t necessarily come easily to them. Applaud them for their efforts and for taking initiative. Remember it isn't always about the "win" but the trying and doing their best too. 

Share with others 

Sharing is an important life skill and whilst our children shouldn't feel like they have to hand everything over if someone else wants it. It is important that we explore the concept that sharing is caring and that it is a kind thing to do. Sharing is universal and is a skill all children can do whether you have lots of a little.

Sharing isn't about giving up the things we love, rather sharing it with others so they can get the same level of joy, happiness and enjoyment from something as us. Happiness that is shared is something very special. 

Of course, the above morals merely scratch the surface  and as parents we all have our own idea of morals that we want out children to learn. Morals are an important tool as we go through life and teaching our children about them early on will help make it easier to adopt these values as they grow.  Some will come more naturally than others but an important thing to remember is that you should always be a good role model to your child and lead by example. 

Which morals do you feel it is important for our children to learn? 

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**This is a collaborative post**