The world needs more humans than intelligent humans. We have kind of established this fact now. The racial intolerance, terrorism, hate speeches etc., stem from a crucial aspect that is a troubled childhood or an uncivilized upbringing. We as parents, however, are largely responsible for rearing our children into kind, sensible, mature adults but how does one go about it? Listed down are five key aspects you can work into in your day to day life with your kids.
In an age when our society is more intelligent than kind, more knowledgeable than tolerant and more tech-savvy than caring, it is of paramount importance that future generations are firmly rooted in values that make us human.
4 PRACTICES TO INCULCATE GOOD VALUES IN CHILDREN
- LEAD BY EXAMPLE
It is true that a parent is the child’s first role model. Whatever they see their parent doing, they blindly imitate it. So when the child sees the parent being kind, courteous and humble, they imbibe it themselves subconsciously. Start small – maybe a thank you to the waiter who delivered your order; holding the door open for an older person to walk in! The more you try to act the part without imposing it, the more the child tries to walk along in your footsteps.
- TEACHING THROUGH LITERATURE
Preaching is always received in the negative and the end result turns out to be something drastic than the perceived goal. When you try to use a preachy tone with your kid, there either is an element of fear or an involuntariness in their actions. And you can be rest assured that, it will manifest later as rebellion. So, one of the best ways to teach your kids about values would be through literature. Books have been an irreplaceable source of wisdom and some of the popular ones like “Aesop’s Fables” holds good even today. Invest quality time with your kids and read to them the stories! Some of the most basic values like honesty and kindness can be inculcated through stories.
- CHOOSE THE RIGHT MEDIA
In a world ruled by ads, there is a constant pump of fast consumerism which has now engulfed us all in a wide net. So exposing your kids to the right media becomes imperative if you don’t want them to be influenced by the external world. Until the time they are old enough to understand and deduce on their own, make sure that you implement parental control on what they watch! Gadgets have come to rule our lives but social media can come a little later!
- THE PRESENCE OF GRANDPARENTS
Now to the most underrated but more important practice – the time and the presence of grandparents in a kids life. Grandparents are a timeless source of wisdom and experiences. Hence, the importance of a grandparent in a kid’s life is paramount to him having a good childhood. Spending time with grandparents would help the child understand some of the important values like respect, care and kindness. This practice is fast becoming extinct but people need to understand the importance of this and bring it back to vogue.
Our world needs more kind humans rather than intelligent humans. So make a conscious pledge to try and inculcate good values in your kids and let them make a name as considerate and decent human being in the world.
At MBGS, we make a conscious effort to hold sessions with the kids about moral values and their importance in everyday life.
