Raising kids today in a fast-paced and ever changing society is a daunting challenge for parents. Kids are born in the lap of technology and the proliferation of tech gadgets has influenced our cultural landscape. Therefore, in the current techno-digital era, instilling values in kids at a young age must be done with a sense of urgency.
Being a parent of an eight-year-old boy, I have been teaching my child some core values since he was in his baby cot. As a general rule, it in your hands to teach your kids how to live their lives or what to believe. Many parents leave their child’s moral development to school curriculum but what solid morals you can pass your child, no one else can. If you want to raise a successful individual, you must not leave the chance to teach them some basic lessons of morality.
Read further to discover what are the main five values that need to be embedded in a child from an early age.
- Interdependence
Inculcating cognitive skills in a child is an elusive key to their success. The ‘paradox of privacy’ is becoming popular these days, especially among teens and tweens who prefer being independent rather than interdependent. In order to become well-rounded individuals, kids must know how to balance all their relationships. Don’t mistake me for saying that you should make your child dependent on you. Let him be independent in his own decision-making so that he can learn from his own mistakes. But do teach your child how to survive in healthy relationships. He must be able to consult others in important life matters and relate to others in a very healthy way.
- Self-respect and respect for others
According to the polls conducted by DailyMail, in U.K, 75percent of the parents voted that respecting the elders must be taught to children. If you have a teenager, you might have first-hand experience of slammed doors mood swings, substance use, etc. many parents complain about the rebellious behavior of their kids as they grow up and how it is a constant struggle for parents to handle them tactfully. In my opinion, no child can respect his elders unless he has a respect for himself. Teach your child respect for self so that you can expect him to respect you. Don’t use an authoritative approach towards your child even when you want to say ‘no’ to him. Honor and respect you child so that he can reciprocate it.
- Religious morality
A child is a reflection of its parents. It will possess whatever traits you own. If you are a God-fearing person and have a strong relationship with God, your child will also follow in your footsteps. A strong connection with God makes a child obedient. You can protect him from the prevalence of social evils in the society. Teach him through small gestures such as thanking God after every meal, praying before going to bed, etc. Such an attitude will result in humility, self-discipline and perseverance. Being a faithful person will teach your child never to succumb to social pressures. Read the Scripture with your child to teach him focus on his strengths and virtues.
- Develop work ethics
Clothes thrown on the floor, dishes on the couch and kitchen counter, or unfinished homework are some of the things all parents go through. In order to make your child a strong and better being, create work opportunities for him. Start with their own chores such as cleaning the closets, washing their own dishes, doing homework on time, etc. Don’t hire away staff to clean up your house. Do it yourself and involve your kids with you to make them responsible people. You can always offer rewards and punishments in exchange of a chore. If they fulfill all the duties, you can buy them movie tickets or some junk meal but if they refuse to work, you can always cut back their allowance to teach them a lesson. Thus, you can train your kids for their future endeavors.
- Resilience and courage
Life is not consistent for all. There are always ups and down in life. Teach your child how to deal with disappointments and rejection. This only makes them stronger and make a comeback with a bang! Let you child know that if he’s committed in pursuing something, he should follow it through, no matter how challenging the task is. Help your child overcome the fear of failure. Encourage and motivate him through his commitments. You’d certainly wouldn’t want your child to become a quitter. Focus on your child’s attitude to teach him become strong rather than a victim of circumstance. Communicate with your child and talk through their rough times to guide them towards a positive path.
Though some psychologists believe that it is hard to teach values to kids due to the outside influences such as peer pressure, internet, etc. yet parents can’t afford to miss any opportunity in making their kids better beings. Often easier said than done, instilling values into kids is both difficult and nuanced, but shaping a child’s perspective is what all parents must do at every minute of their life.
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