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We all carry a set of moral values with us through life, and these are often formed in childhood through our interactions with people and the world. As children grow and mature they develop their own moral compass to guide them through challenging experiences, and will often look to their parents and immediate environment for clues. Here a private school in Kensington explores five important moral values you can help your child develop.
Respect
The best way to teach respect is to model it yourself. If they see you interacting with people in a polite and considerate manager, they’re more likely to act in the same way. One important aspect of respect is tolerating difference, and this is something you can encourage by facilitating open discussions around various topics and using things that might have happened to your child at school as talking points.
Honesty
Again, the best thing we can do to encourage our children to tell the truth is demonstrate honesty ourselves. Children will often lie to avoid punishment or embarrassment, but these instances provide a good opportunity for you to discuss with them the importance of being truthful, even after a lie has been told.
Gratitude
Showing appreciation to others and for the positive things in life can help children develop into well-rounded adults who are happy with what they have rather than always dissatisfied with what they lack. Make gratitude a regular practice in your house; for example, you could ask your child to list three things they’re grateful for at the end of the day, or encourage them to reach out and show gratitude toward someone who has helped them.
Compassion
Although we might want to shield our children from negativity, it’s good for them to understand that people have different struggles and there are things we can do to help each other. You can alert your child to the challenges people face by getting them involved in volunteering in the community or letting them watch certain parts of the news so you can have a discussion about what they’ve seen.
Perseverance
Encouraging your child to persist with things they find difficult and work hard to overcome obstacles will boost their self-esteem and confidence in their abilities. It will also help them adopt a positive attitude to life and any setbacks they face.
Our moral values can change as we go through life, but childhood provides a firm foundation for how children approach the people and situations they encounter.
