Why Should We Teach Good Values to Children?

Undoubtedly, teaching children good and respectable values is no easy task for anyone. Nevertheless, this is a vital part of our duty as a society of people. Teaching love, respect, honor and such alike to our kids, will require parents, grand-parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, neighbors and all of society participation. But not everyone will have a loveable desire to teach children in order to protect then from evil and prepare them to live in the real world. Some will seek to cause harm and distress to our little ones and teens. This is why teaching them is so essential to them and our future. They can then become successful, happy, healthy, productive adults with strong values, willing to face life with confidence.

When we teach good values to our children, they are less likely to undergo remedial character adjustments during adolescence and parents or guardians will not need to employ expensive therapist or psychological behavior experts to correct aberrant behavior during their entire adult life. Essential core values to teach them include: self-discipline, honesty to themselves and society, responsible actions, reverence for their lives and that of their neighbors, self esteem, confidence, harmonious relationship and cooperation, tolerance for opposite lifestyles and views, how to distinguish between two issues (good and bad) among other core values (See How to Teach Values that Stick at www.characterishigherthanintellect.com).

School life, much like the family home atmosphere, is important to our children. Many teens and kids learn very bad habits at school and take them home. This often cause discomfort for parents and guardians because the bad habits they transport home often contradicts the good values taught at home. School Safety, Discipline and Drug-Free Environment are some of the points of concern. Those of us who love children should talk to them about the dangers of alcohol and illicit drugs use. We must explain to them the dangers of these and that keeping friends or companion with those who abuse and use illicit drugs can adversely affect their own safety, self-reliance and relationship with families and friends who are concerned about them. Reading and discussing the school's discipline policy with them so they will better comprehend the true meaning, will also help. Teach and practice with them examples of responses to people who are abusive, hostile, intoxicated or aggressive so they will have a better practical understanding. In addition, professional experts in child care and security often encourage us to build a network of parents and community organization that will work in and around schools to consistently discourage alcohol and drug abuse, and also ward off unwanted intruders - see Ten Activities To Help Ensure Your School Is Safe, Disciplined, and Drug-Free at www.ed.gov.

Teaching our children to be on alert for unwanted strangers and potential trouble are also important. Ensuring that children know, learn and understand the practical use of critically important basic rules when parents or guardians are absent will matter. These include: never accept rides, candy, gifts, money or medicine from strangers; never get too close to a vehicle if a stranger calls out to you for directions or anything else, because it will be easier for a stranger to pull you into the vehicle and cause you harm; never give your name and address to a stranger; never open the door to anyone you do not know; never tell someone who calls on the phone that you are home alone; always avoid strangers who are around the restrooms or the playground and want to play with you or your friends - Teaching Children Safety Rules at www.danverspolice.com. Parents and guardians can identify with these and other safety rules for kids, since they were most likely taught to them while they were children. They do work to prevent harm to kids and help instill good values of safety and self respect.

Another important set of values to teach children and teens are those pertaining to financial money matters. Learning about the value of money is a gradual process that should usually culminate by age 18 for most children. Understanding how saving, investment, and debt affect the family and their lives is important for prudent and responsible money management throughout their lives. Hence, professionals in money matters have some very good advice for us all.

Ages 0-3: The Basic. Remember to begin teaching children how to count to ten, for example, and the basics of mathematics. As the meaning of words begin to appear later, start to instill the notion of exchange to them. Ages 3-5: Learning Values. We are encouraged to start instilling the basic concepts of saving by placing coins safely in a glass so children can see them adding up and show them how five one cent coins, for example, equal one five cent piece, and so on. Ages 6-8: Pocket Money Principle. Weekly pocket money to children at this age period will introduce them to making spending decisions and the fact that different items cost different amounts of money. The concept of savings should also begin to be taught so they can decide on something they want and save towards getting it. Ages 8-10: Rewards for Saving. Further development on the concept and reasons for saving should be encouraged and explained. Show children that there are practical rewards for saving. See Teach them Young at www.persfin.co.za.

Continuing, ages 11-12: Family Finance Explained. How bills are paid, how money has to come out of the income earned to pay expenses are encouraged to be taught at this stage. Reduce the pocket money payment from once a week to once every two weeks, for example, so they will have to make their money last longer. Ages 13-15: The Negotiation Principle. Experts encourage us to negotiate with our children the amount of pocket money that are provided to them. Here a list of their essentials and a set re-negotiation date are encouraged. The ability to discuss, analyze, compromise and so on will begin to develop. Ages 15-18: The Final Stage - Increased Participation in the Family Finances. Here the opinion of teens, prioritized spending, filling out of checks by teens when bills are to be paid, making payments over the internet, for example, and such responsible behavior are encouraged to be taught. These money management principles are very essential to children and parents alike. To teach our kids how to be prudent, responsible and independent with money will last a lifetime.

Therefore, teaching good values to children is absolutely compulsory to us as a society. Moral, safety, financial and other values are needed to guide them to adulthood so they will enjoy their lives and be normal responsible members of societies. From ages 0-3 we can start teaching different verbal and arithmetical values that will greatly benefit them in later years. It will be a great mistake on our part if we do not love and teach our children important values of living.