Ensuring a bright future for your children isn’t just a matter of getting them into the right schools so they can find good jobs. Indeed, good studies make smart people, but a good education makes good human beings. So you need to instill values in them if you want to see them become good people. In this article, you’ll find different values to teach your children, but also the best ways to pass them on.
What values should you instill in your children?
Nobility in every behavior is the sign of a good upbringing. Many young parents wonder what kind of upbringing they should give their child. To turn your little one into a good person, you need to teach him or her the right values, step by step. Here are a few basics to teach your little one so that he or she can adopt the best social behavior and do you proud.
Respect
Respect is one of the most important values to teach your children. Knowing how to respect your parents and elders is essential to living in a healthy community. But respect doesn’t stop there. It’s also essential for your little one to follow the rules of the house. If he learns this early on, he’ll do better in his school years, but also in the working environment later on.
Honesty
In the family, in everything that concerns friendship, honesty is the basis of trust. It’s already present in small children, but as they get older, they may lie to protect themselves, especially if they’ve done bad things. Of course, having your child’s trust is essential if you want to teach him or her honesty. To do this, you need to earn their respect through kindness and lots ofaffection.
Tolerance
Everyone is different in their own way. Tolerance is a value not to be neglected. Teach your little one to be open-minded, to accept everyone’s specificities. This doesn’t just mean tolerance of culture, race or religion. Your child must also have consideration for differences of opinion.
Altruism
Helping others is a noble act for children. Helping others, such as members of a fraternity or a friend, is an act of nobility. Of course, altruism isn’t just about helping others materially, it’s also about providing moral and psychological support. Sharing the sufferings and joys of those around you will help your little one grow as a person. Solidarity is therefore also part of a child’s education.
Responsibility
Having a sense of responsibility is a major asset for survival in this world, where life is becoming increasingly difficult. To help your child in his personal development, he must also have a sense of priorities and be responsible. This can be done by teaching him to tidy his room, do his chores, or put his toys in their place when he’s not using them. Let him know that every action has a consequence, good or bad.
Friendliness
Social and family relationships are strengthened by friendly behavior, such as empathy.Appreciation is also one of the attitudes to adopt to bring a relaxed atmosphere to a conversation between friends and especially within a fraternity. Knowing how to say thank you, how to apologize if you’re bothering someone and how to be polite are all part of the values your child needs to learn.
Self-esteem
It’s important to teach your child not only to be kind to others, but also to respect them. That said, it’s also important to have self-esteem. Having self-esteem enables a child to fully exploit his or her potential at school and in other areas of life.
Forgiveness
Everyone makes mistakes. By teaching your child this truth, you’re making him understand that he makes them too. This is the first step in helping them to forgive. This is one of the most important qualities for moving forward in life.
Because of the so-called egocentric phase, a child generally has difficulty accepting his mistake. By making them understand that they can make mistakes, just like others, it will be easier for them to forgive those around them or those they know.
Humility
Accepting one’s own shortcomings helps your child to remain humble and clear-headed when making decisions. They also need to know that they are in no way superior to anyone else. This will also help him to be happier, as he won’t spend his life putting pressure on himself to prove his superiority.
How to transmit the right values?
It’s easy to teach your children values, in theory. But in practice, it takes more than willpower. Here are a few practical tips to help you pass on good virtues to your little one.
When should you start passing on values?
Some values are not passed on at school, but at home. It all starts in the family, from the earliest age. Indeed, if you want to see nobility in your children‘s behavior, it’s essential to show them everything right from the start. Admittedly, a baby doesn’t understand everything you talk to him about, but he’s already listening and learning. So you can talk to him about the right things to do.
Set a good example
From infancy to adulthood, children try to imitate their parents. Your gestures and actions are studied and copied by your little ones from the day they begin to be aware of what they’re doing. You are an absolute reference for your children, which is why it’s so important to set an example.
If you want to teach your little one to share with a friend, have an open hand with yours.
Knowing how to listen
Communication is essential to the smooth running of the family clock. Of course, this doesn’t just mean talking and trying to get your child to understand your arguments. It also means listening to his every word to understand his feelings. If your child feels a sense of reciprocity in your actions, he’ll become more honest when talking about his problems at school or when sharing with you what he likes to do.
Include games in learning
Basic learning methods don’t always work with children. Simple words require a lot of repetition before they are assimilated. It’s therefore necessary to use other teaching aids. Fun things capture children‘s interest and concentration much better. For example, you can use games to facilitate the transmission of values. Depending on the lesson to be taught, you can use construction games, puzzles and much more. In our section “Discover the benefits of board games for your children”, you’ll find some ideas on what to do.
Sport helps too
While many children excel intellectually, others are more at home with physical activities. This type of discipline not only helps little ones to gain self-confidence, observe and be more responsible with their sports accessories, but also to have more respect for others. Of course, the physical effort involved also stimulates creativity and a sense of well-being.
Make time for your children
The simple fact of seeing you often playing or doing activities with your child is already a good source of learning for your child. Children always copy their parents. By spending time with your little one, you’re indirectly passing on your values. Of course, you have to teach him to be indulgent if you make mistakes. He’ll feel love, perseverance, forgiveness and much more in your presence. Your little one is more open-minded and welcomes learning with ease if you devote time to him. In our section Personal development of children: What you need to know, you can find out how a good parent/child relationship can benefit your little one.
A little music in life
Music has always been included in various educational techniques. Not only does it influence children’s creativity, but it also helps them to concentrate better, memorize more easily and establish social relationships more easily. It also helps them assimilate the values you want to teach them. What’s more, he’ll be able to assert himself better in relationships, as music helps him to express himself. By developing his talent for music, the child gains self-esteem. He’ll also learn the gratitude of having attentive teachers to help him continually improve.
What not to do?
When trying to instill values in your child, there are certain things to avoid if you want your child’s education to succeed.
Misplaced protection
A child’s curiosity is almost boundless, but his innocence protects him from bad thoughts. One of the mistakes parents make is to forbid them to do something they’re not even aware of. Misplaced protection is a harmful system of upbringing, because instead of protecting the child, it pushes him to do the opposite of what you tell him to do.
For example, it’s clear that you’re going to forbid your child to play with a knife. So you’re not going to leave this kitchen utensil lying around the house, but rather you’re going to put it away. When you tell your child not to touch it, you’re not going to say: “You mustn’t play with that knife that Mom (or Dad) put away in that cupboard”. This will only arouse his curiosity and encourage him to go and get the knife, because he knows where it is.
Learning by force or terror
Throughout his life, your child will make mistakes. Some may exasperate you to the point of scolding him severely. After this episode, the child will have understood and will never make the same mistake again, at least in theory. Later, when you warn him not to do it again, there’s no need to raise your voice. If you shout at him or use too firm a tone, your child will be afraid and won’t learn any lessons. So he’s likely to do it again as soon as you’re not around.
Terrorizing a child is not a good way of teaching him values either. “If you don’t respect your grandfather, he’ll come back to haunt you when he’s dead” is the kind of example you absolutely must avoid, because instead of respecting and loving your grandfather, he’ll fear him.
Lying
You’re trying to teach your child honesty. That’s why it’s not a good idea to lie, especially when there’s a problem at home. Not telling certain details can still be acceptable, as some things can traumatize children. But distorting the truth may cost you his respect and attention.
Teaching children values: our summary
Generally speaking, instilling values in your child means teaching him how to live in society. This will help them evolve more easily and cope with life‘s mishaps. Of course, every parent has his or her own concept of the most important values to pass on to a child. It all depends on their own upbringing. Come and share yours in the comments at to to ensure that parents help each other.