Parents stress teaching values to their tweens through books and articles. But what are these values and what is their importance and what are the best ways to teach them?
In short, values are the guiding principles that grant an individual a sense of right and wrong. The values are the beliefs that are held dearly and give guidance that helps make a decision. One of the things the parents worry about the most is that their children may get influenced by the world and may give up on their values.
Values learned at a young age last forever
As the kids grow up and watch the world around them and the people they love and trust, they get a sense of the rights and wrong and what is fair and just. This encourages them to make this world a better place by contributing with wise choices and encouragement. This will help them to find their place in this complex world and will become stable and healthy adults and form better relations with the people around them.
Catch tweens doing good
An effective way of communicating the values is by teaching them on a daily basis without even thinking about it. For example, while going for a ride you saw someone throwing litter elsewhere. This is where parents can comment on it and tell what is right and wrong. Not doing so sends the impression that the act is justified. Kids learn a lot by watching what their elders do and parents should make an effort to teach the kids through action and words.
One of the ways to teach values is to catch them in the act of doing good. Compliment on what they did right and how they benefited the world around them and how much they made their parents proud. Getting close to friends and family gives a strong sense of security that produces solid values and prevents the tweens from seeking harmful alternatives.
Share values and respect differences
It is not necessary that the tweens may hold the same values as dearly as their parents do. They might take it with different ideas and evolve which is not necessarily a bad thing. Differences provide an opportunity to listen to and learn about this innovation. Parents should also allow their kids to have their own space to figure out their values.
Parents love their kids unconditionally and this unconditional love will give them a sense of security and allow them to consider their needs safely. To know what is important to them, allow the tweens to take risks and cross boundaries.
Be real and realistic
Parents are the kid’s first role models and they should teach them how to be compassionate, respectful, honest, generous adults. They must guide them to the right path. Parents should not project artificial behaviour and should instead teach how to fight their way to live to their values in the world.
Conclusion
Teaching Values of to the tweens is very important. Values are the key features that help build a character. Hence the tweens need to learn them early on. Knowing their values one can contribute positively to people and their community.
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Do read my previous article in these series of : “Parenting TweenS”
A: A transformative age called tweens
B: Parenting Tweens: A Balancing Act
C: Connecting with tweens :Emotionally and Physically
