Teaching your child the right moral values to ensure they grow up to be a good, kind person, is one of your key responsibilities as a parent. After all, none of us likes to think of our child as being rude, lazy, or downright unpleasant to be around. With so many moral values and life lessons to teach your child, you might be wondering where to start. I have teamed up with an independent school in Harrow to suggest some moral values you could begin with.
Compassion & Consideration
Teaching your child to treat others with kindness and respect is a great place to start. Explain to them that they should treat people the way they wish to be treated and encourage them to empathise. If you notice them doing something unfavourable, like snatching a toy from their friend, ask them how they think their friend might have felt at the moment.
The trick is to teach your child to think about other people’s feelings, especially before they act. Likewise, when you notice your child behaving in a kind way, be sure to praise them so that they repeat this behaviour going forward.
Hard Work & Resilience
Another important life lesson to explore with your child is that hard work is the key to success. If they are lazy and don’t put in the effort, they are unlikely to see positive results. For instance, if they are having piano lessons but don’t practise during the week, they will never improve. This is just one example, but the rule applies to other areas of life.
Putting in the effort is one key to success, another is resilience. If your child gives up when the going gets tough, they are more likely to accomplish their goals. Helping your child become more resilient will also give them the right mindset to overcome adversity in a healthy and positive manner.
Optimism & Positivity
Optimism is important because it’s what allows us to look to the future with a positive mindset rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about things that might not happen. If you hear your child saying things like “I can’t do this” or “I’m not good enough” be sure to challenge them and remind them that they are more than capable of doing anything they put their mind to. Point out similar situations in the past where they were able to overcome the challenge to remind them that they can do it and they are good enough.
When your child makes a mistake or fails at something, try not to be too hard on them. Instead, remind them that they are only human, and we all get things wrong sometimes, even grownups. Teach them to see mistakes and failings as an opportunity to learn and improve in the future, rather than something to dwell on.
*This is a collaborative post
