Whether you have one or seven kids, the values you instil in them from an early age can help to form who they become. For parents trying to navigate raising little humans, this thought can sometimes be overwhelming.
However, there are some fundamental things that will come naturally as your children grow up, and these are the main values that will stay with them from childhood right through to old age. To help you work out where to begin, here’s a look at some of the main values that everyone needs as they grow up.
Honesty
As adults, we often fall into the habit of telling little white lies to preserve the feelings of others. We tell our Auntie Linda that we adore the scarf she bought us for Christmas or that it was no problem, as designated driver, to drop that random friend of a friend home on the other side of town.
While these little fibs are designed to maintain good relationships, they can be damaging for our children. This is because they lead to our little ones being confused about when it’s appropriate to tell the truth. Instead, it’s worth showing our children how to gently ask Auntie Linda if there’s a gift receipt or to let our friend know we’ll only be able to drop off people closer to home next time. If our kids lie, we can encourage them to tell the truth about how the lamp came to be broken or the mud got on the carpet.
Fairness
By showing them what is fair and what isn’t, your child can learn to speak out if they see something that isn’t right and encourage them to act fairly with their peers. For example, if your child is drawing something and another child snatches a crayon out of their hand, teaching them to speak up and say to the other child that they were using the crayon and that they should wait their turn can give them a sense of how to act when something.
From there, your child can decide whether to tell you or the teacher if this doesn’t resolve the situation.
Likewise, if your child is the one doing the snatching, it’s worth asking them why they took the pencil and asking them to apologise and return it. You can ask them how they would feel if someone took the pencil from them and ask them to go and see if the other child wants help with drawing the picture.
Sympathy and Empathy
Picking up on the theme of asking how your child would feel if they were in that position, teaching your kids about being considerate of others’ feelings is essential for helping them to build friendships.
As well as asking how they’d feel, help them to come up with solutions. So, if their best friend at school is unhappy because your child has been arguing with them about something, take some time to work out what they have fallen out over and ask your child to think of their friend’s feelings and come up with some ways to resolve the issue.
Love
While you love your child unconditionally, it’s crucial for them to be told how much they’re loved. Showing them affection will enable them to know they are loved. Take the time to give them a hug before dropping them off at nursery in the morning or cuddle at pickup.
Also, whether you’re married to your partner or you’ve been together a long time, always try to hug and kiss them when the children are nearby. This shows what a caring, loving relationship looks like.
Keeping these values in mind will help you to steer your children as they grow up.
this is a collaborative post.