The Most Important Values to Teach A Child
It is said that the first five years of life determine a large part of a child’s character traits, and that is why parents should start teaching a child values at a very young age. In this article, we present what we think are the most important values to teach a child.
What are the values?
Value refers to a desired thing, behavior, or goal. Values are conceptual in nature and guide the actions of an individual or group. They can help us choose the best of the two options and behave in a certain way. Values can be defined and categorized in many different ways, and they also vary by culture. Ethical values are important because they are closely related to human behavior and the rules and regulations of any community.
Man is neither good nor evil at birth, which leads to the conclusion that parents and other adults should help the child develop their behavior and teach them how to act, react, and live, and what is and is not acceptable to do. The values must be taught to the child at an early age so that he or she identifies with them.
The most important values to teach a child
- Friendliness. This includes treating others in a respectful and helpful way, regardless of people’s background.
- Respect. This means that others are not mistreated physically or verbally. The value of people must be taken into account, regardless of their nationality, language or culture.
- Obedience. Related to this is teaching the child the reason why he or she must act as requested. The child needs to know and understand what is expected of him.
- Tolerance. People should be tolerant of the thoughts and views of others, even if they differ from their own. It is important for us to accept diversity and diversity.
- Determination and perseverance. The child must learn to be consistent and steadfast in doing a particular thing and not give up.
- Integrity. This means staying honest in any situation, be it public or private.
- Responsibility. This means carrying out the promised things and taking responsibility for the tasks assigned to oneself as well as for the consequences of one’s own actions and decisions.
How should a child be taught values?
Please set an example
It has been proven that children learn from the example of others. For example, parents cannot require a child to be selfless if a child repeatedly sees the parents themselves behaving selfishly in certain things. A small child does not yet understand what is right and what is wrong, and if parents want a child to grow into a responsible, honest, and kind adult, they need to show him the right kind of model. Parents must also talk to the child and be consistent in their speeches.
One good way to teach a child values is to read him or her stories in which a protagonist with a positive attitude adheres to good values. The child will hopefully want to emulate such good and constructive behavior.
Be supportive of the child
Teaching values to a child requires the child’s trust. To build and maintain trust, parents must always be supportive of the child and also actively offer their support. In this way, the child turns to his or her parents when faced with a difficult situation. Internalizing values requires constant teaching, because only in this way does a young child begin to adhere to them in his or her daily life.
The benefits of teaching values to a child
There are many benefits to teaching values to a child, some of the most important of which are:
- Promotes the child’s personal growth and development.
- Supports moral development and guides the child towards morally good and right action.
- Leads to personal happiness.
- Teaches you to appreciate the most important things in life.
- Helps develop a healthy self-esteem.
- Gradually, the child learns to set and pursue personal goals for the future.
