One of your key responsibilities as a parent, as you know, is to teach your child the difference between right and wrong so that they can grow up to be a good person. There are many moral values you should explore with your child, and some will be more important than others based on your family values. Here are five moral values to start with, suggested by an international school in North London.
Compassion
Your child needs to know that they should always be kind and compassionate towards others. They should be polite and helpful where possible and be respectful of other people’s opinions and ideas. Explore the age-old notion that your child should treat others the way they wish to be treated, because this will help them build strong relationships.
Hard Work
Teach your child that hard work pays off, and they should always put in the effort where their education and extra-curricular activities are concerned. With that said, ensure they prioritise their homework after school and encourage them to always try their best. Let them know that they as long as they work hard, you will be proud of them regardless of the outcome.
Optimism
Being optimistic can be hard sometimes, but it’s important to be positive about the future. If your child is always dwelling on things that have gone wrong or worrying about things that are coming up in the future, they won’t be a particularly happy little person. With this in mind, try and help them set achievable goals and make sure they have plenty of opportunities to look forward to.
Gratitude
Help your child look at the good things in their life by regularly talking to them about what makes them fortunate and what they are grateful for. Each evening at dinner time or before bed, ask each member of your family for examples of what they appreciate that day, even if it’s something as simple as someone offering them a pencil in class, or giving them a lift to school. This should help them respect what other people do for them each and every day.
Honesty
Teach your child that honesty is always the best policy, because it allows trust to form between people. Encouraging your child to be honest will help them take accountability for their actions and also allows them to learn from past mistakes. There will be times when your child is inclined to tell a fib so that they don’t get in trouble, so you should always praise them for being honest and owning up to things they have done wrong, rather than being hard on them.
When teaching your child to be a good person, the best thing you can do is lead by example and be a good role model. Your child will look to you for ways to behave and respond to certain situations, so be mindful of your own behaviour around your youngster
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