Home & Family Facts and Notes

Teaching children values is very important in today’s ever changing world. Yesterday’s children were brought up in a completely different lifestyle with small communities and close families. Today there are more choices and opportunities to learn and grow but there are also hazards along the way. As a parent you know that without values your children will have fewer good opportunities in life. Here are 5 steps for teaching values to your children.

1. You need to identify your values. What values do you as parent feel are important? We all want our children to be honest, dependable and self-reliant. These values dictate the way you spend your money, how you spend your free time and even what kind of car your drive.

2. Do you want your children patterning you? Your children will take on many of your values by watching you. When you see a value your child is developing does it make you feel uncomfortable? Is this a value you have that you do not like? Now is the time to change our values into what we want our children to adopt.

3. Here are some questions to help determine what your values are. Do you feel people are poor because they are lazy or because we all have different opportunities. If your weekend was suddenly cleared, what would you do? If you found $10,000 would you pay off debt or would you find someone in need and give it to them. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions but they can help us understand our individual values.

4. Have a monthly family meeting. You want to make this as fun as possible but the purpose is to interact with your kids. Turn the television off and put your cell phone a way. Ask your children questions and give them an opportunity to express themselves. Talk about the values you share as individuals and as a family.

5. Monthly value. Do not try to instill every value into your children all at once. Each month select a value and focus on it. Why is it important and beneficial? What do your children think about it? Will it lead to making better decisions? Honesty, self-reliance and goal setting may be good values to start with.

Teaching values to our children starts with our own values. First we need to understand what our values are. If we lack certain values or are unhappy with a current value then now is the time to change. Then set some time aside each month where you can meet with your children and discuss a different value each month with them.

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