Exploring Moral Values with Your Child
This is a collaborative post.
Exploring moral values with your child from a young age will help them understand the difference between right and wrong and will equip them with the right mindset to be a good person. A prep school in the West Midlands have put together the following information on moral values and how you can teach them to your child…
Morals to consider
Of course, there are hundreds of different morals, and it would be impossible to discuss them all in a blog post, but here are a few you should consider exploring with your youngster:
- Respect
- Honesty
- Loyalty
- Determination
- Hard Work
- Compassion
- Equality
- Generosity
- Gratitude
Discuss the Meaning of Morals
Teach your child the meaning of each of these words and how they can manifest in our behaviour. For example, when discussing what respect means, give your child examples of both respectful and disrespectful behaviour.
It might help to point it out in real-life situations, so if you go out for dinner and hear someone yelling at the waitress for getting the order wrong, you could explain to your child that it wasn’t a respectful way for the customer to speak to the staff.
When discussing what equality means, ask your child how they would feel if they were treated differently to their peers based on their age, gender, religion, or the colour of their skin. Help them understand that all people should be treated with respect, regardless of their differences.
Question How You Would Behave in Certain Situations
As a family, you should have some healthy debates about moral values and conflicts. Ask your child what they would do if they knew their friend had done something bad like shoplifting. Would they remain loyal to their friend and keep it a secret, or would they be honest and tell a grown-up?
If you were running late to meet up with your friend but your elderly neighbour could use your help, would you demonstrate compassion and support your neighbour, or keep your word to your friend that you’ll arrive to meet them at a certain time?
Conversations like this will help your child with their understanding of morality as they will be able to think about it on a deeper level.
Be a Good Role Model
The best thing you can do when teaching your child about moral values is to be a good role model. If you want to teach your child that yelling and swearing at someone are disrespectful, don’t do it yourself.
Apologise when you’re wrong, express gratitude and show them the benefits of working hard and being determined. Children learn a lot just by observing their parents and other influential people in their life, so be mindful of your own behaviour around your youngster.
Has this helped you to know how to explore moral values with your child?