Exploring‌ ‌Moral‌ ‌Values‌ ‌with‌ ‌Your‌ ‌Child‌

Moral values are not something children are born with but rather something they learn from observing those around them. Honesty, kindness, and gentleness are good moral values to begin with when you are exploring these things with smaller children. You can discuss these attributes with even the youngest of children. 

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This independent school in West London believes strongly that children are capable of far more understanding than most people give them credit for. Here are some ideas to help your child learn more about moral values:

Get a pet

Pets are a wonderful way for children to learn about caring for others. Even a goldfish needs daily attention. Talk to your child about what a pet can do for itself and why we need to help them. Discuss what might happen if we failed to feed our pets or if we were unkind to them.

Storytime

Stories are a wonderful route into learning more about moral values and there are many which are specifically designed for the purpose. Aesop’s Fables are probably the most famous of the moral tales for children, but many others are great examples also.

If you do read a story with your child and notice that it has a moral message, why not have a discussion with your child afterwards? You can ask them questions about the story and discuss the rights and the wrongs of the character’s choices. Children often relate very well to fictional characters and enjoy debating about their actions.

At home and at play

As children learn more about socialising and begin to play independently, they will develop a strong sense of fairness and of right versus wrong. Ensure that you set aside a little time each day to discuss your child’s experiences.

Many younger children will have a sense of what is right and proper in terms of joining in with games, playing nicely and bullying. Others don’t pick up on these skills until they’re older – keep in mind that every child develops at a different rate and so some children might take longer than others to fully develop a sense of justice and fairness.

Let your child know that there is a difference between telling tales and telling the truth. This is a somewhat murky area for many people but in general, a good way to help a child to understand the difference is to ask, “Was anyone hurt?” and to tell your child that when someone hurts someone else, either physically or emotionally, it’s not telling tales if they inform a grownup. 

This is a collaborative post.