Raising children in a fast-paced world is tough for parents to know the important values to teach a child. As a mom, you have the duty of helping your child become a human being capable of enriching themselves through helping others. By teaching them the right set of values, you can help them build better social skills and find their place in society.
Here are 5 important values to teach children for positive parenting
Grit
This may be the most crucial value your kids can carry for the rest of their lives. In her 2006 book Mindset: The Psychology of Success, psychologist Carol Dweck highlights the value of gradual progress instead of instant success — the “Growth Mindset,” as Dweck wrote, enables people to grow their talents and skills through consistent effort and perseverance. Also, psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth expounds on this theory in 2016 with Grit: the Power of Perseverance and Passion. In their separate studies on motivation, it is clear how focusing on constant improvement can help set children up for a lifetime of learning and personal success.
You can find Dweck’s talk on mindsets here. For Duckworth’s TedTalk on Grit, click here.
Kindness
In a world filled with troubles, it helps to remind your child to stay kind. Kindness is inarguably one of the most important values to teach children in the modern age.
Each of us is a special kind of wonder, and sometimes all it takes is a little act of kindness. At their age, it can be easy to teach kindness to your kids through storybooks and videos. For a lesson on compassion and kindness, we recommend a story time session on R. J. Palacio’s We are All Wonders.
Read-along with Elmo of Sesame Street here.
Confidence
Children are highly observant. As they grow, they can build a habit of comparing themselves with others. Other children can also end up poking fun at them for looking a certain way. As their voice of reason, we have to remind them that they are beautiful the way they are. For a bedtime story about self-acceptance and confidence, we suggest Sulwe by Academy Award-winning actress, director, writer, and producer Lupita Nyong’o. Sometimes, it can also be tough for children to open up about their feelings and insecurities. I am Perfectly Designed by Karamo Brown can help them understand what it means to be truthful and to love themselves with their head held high.
Read their stories of love and acceptance here and here.
Honesty
“Did you know being honest is more than just about telling the truth?”
Such is the opening line of Diane Alber’s A Little Spot of Truth, a short story that can help children know how to become honest and trustworthy with integrity.
Read the full story here.
Courage
Teaching your children about standing up for themselves and for others can be challenging, especially when we start to get into the subject of bullying. Sometimes, all it takes is a little act of courage to help others rise up even when they have people pushing against them. A good story to talk about courage and to teach them about standing up against bullies is One by Kathryn Otoshi. Read along with 1st Grade students here.
Beyond bedtime stories and family time, the best way to teach them these values is to set a good example for your children. They learn best by understanding how you treat them, by listening to your interactions with others, and by observing what you do in different situations throughout the day.
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