“You must share your toys with other kids.” “You should help the poor and the needy.” “You should always respect the elders!” These and more are some of the usual things that parents keep trying to teach their children with the key intention to help them learn some good values in life. In fact, there would be hardly any parents on earth who don’t want their kids to grow into well-behaved individuals and have good moral values and ethics.
But the question is that while parents certainly don’t leave any stone unturned in teaching morals and ethics to their children, can these really be taught, or are these qualities innate? We, at DPS Sushant Lok, have a few crucial insights for you in this article below. Read on.
How do kids learn values?
Some psychologists say that values cannot be taught to kids. That’s because children look for facts in whatever they are taught, which is not the case with values. Morals and values do not deal with facts and logic; they are rather more behavior and character-driven. It is hence really a tough task to teach values to kids. However, no matter what, good values have their own special value in the holistic development of children, and as such, they cannot be really left to chance. So, what can be done?
We, at DPS Sushant Lok, positioned among the best CBSE affiliated schools in Gurgaon, believe that though it could be tough to verbally teach values to children, they are, in reality, learning them every single minute!
It is a known fact that children are keen observers. They learn the most by observing the people around them. As such, the parents, other family members, their friends, and the teachers have the maximum influence on shaping their behavior and instilling the values and ethics in them. Hence, the question shouldn’t be ideally about whether the values can be taught or not but rather about what exactly we are teaching to our young ones!
Values that are important to be taught to kids
Some of the most important values that must be necessarily taught to kids include empathy, self-sacrifice, courage, responsibility, honesty, humility, etc. Some parenting experts also believe that self-reliance, unselfishness, mercy, and dependability are also some of the crucial values that should be instilled in children. But despite what the experts suggest or what values you want your kids to learn, the entire discussion comes down to one point – what are you doing to help your children embrace the values as a way of life?
So here we, at DPS Sushant Lok, have a few tips for you in that direction.
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Model the behavior you wish to teach
Being a role model to kids is indeed a major responsibility that all parents shoulder. But are you sure you are fulfilling this responsibility aptly? Are you aware that your children are observing and taking note of the lessons you unknowingly pass on to them when you ask them who won the cricket match or when you lie about their age to get a discounted ticket at the amusement park? If you are doing so, there is no point telling them that winning or losing doesn’t matter or honesty is the best policy.
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Let the feeling of empathy & kindness sink in through your behavior
Children will never learn the values of empathy and kindness by merely being told about them. If you want them to embrace these values, make sure you treat them with the same empathy and kindness that you expect them to showcase to others.
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Make it relevant for them to understand better
Remember your little one asking you why the sky is blue or why the ice is so cold? That’s because children are curious and inquisitive by their very nature. They look for facts behind each and everything they see or hear about. The same goes for values as well. Help them relate values with life, and they will understand the concept of morals and values better.
At DPS Sushant Lok, a well-known CBSE affiliated school in Gurgaon, we firmly believe that the groundwork for enabling the growth of our youth into good and responsible humans begins right during childhood. Hence, sow the seeds of good values in those young minds at the right age, and they will definitely bear the sweetest fruits of great behavior and character.