Bringing up a child has always been something that most of us if not all of us have accepted that it is something that is not easy because it requires so much from the parents or whoever has the responsibility of caring of a child. Due to the undeniable fact that bringing up a child is not easy, so many parents have either tried to take on their responsibilities while others are trying to shy away from it looking for different excuses to justify their inability to train their children as they should.
Whether or not parents stand up to their responsibilities. There are some basic values and norms that parents try to imbibe in their children to help them grow up in a way that will bring praise to the parents and also help the child become someone great when he or she is old. In this post, I’d be sharing with us some norms and values I believe every parent should try to teach their children if they really want to make them better people in the future.
As parents, one thing to always bear in mind is that, your children are always watching you. They look so young and innocent but then, they have ears, eyes and emotions too. So, one norm and value parents should uphold is being exemplary to their children. As parents, the best way to teach your child is to live by what you want them to live by and be diligent and also true to it. If your child ever perceives any form of hypocrisy in your actions, no matter whether good or bad an advise is, they will have a double mind about it and will most times want to not obey you.
Another value and norm parents need to imbibe in their children is open communication and emotional support. Teach your children to always make you the first person they want to share anything they are going through with. Always be ready to listen to your children and give them good advice as regards whatever they might be going through. Never ignore or downplay their emotions. As long as they can tell you about something, no matter what it might be, learn to think things through first before getting mad at them or commending them.
As parents, teach your children that there are consequences for their actions. Let them know that they don’t do things without getting rewarded (it can be good or bad). You can do this by always appreciating them and commending them when they do things well and also chastise them when they do something that they shouldn’t. But, all of these shouldn’t in anyway make them feel that they are not loved. If your child does anything wrong, you should be the first to spot it out and give the appropriate rebuke to it, likewise in cases when they do something good.
Parents should also teach their children how to be independent and make decisions on their own while guiding them. A lot of parents don’t ever give their children the opportunity to make decisions on their own because they are scared they will make the wrong choices but then, that’s how they will learn. As parents, give your children tasks every now and then that requires them to make use of all the teachings and values you’ve taught them over time. They should make practical use of them while they are under you and not when they are away from you. That way, you will be able to know where they need more improvements and help.
Parents should also teach their children to love acquiring knowledge. Parents can do this by sharing their own knowledge with their children and also asking questions that will make them want to go and make researches to give a better answer. When your child knows a lot of things, they will always be curious to learn things and ask question when they are not sure of something. When your child sees how well you as a parent respond to his or questions, it gives them more confidence to ask you more and also want to grow up to be like you.
Cultural and social values are also things that parents should teach their children. Even if your cultural values are not what you want your child to abide by, it is necessary that they have knowledge of it so it can help them know why you won’t want them to follow those values but just the knowledge that such a culture is in existence. And also, teach your children to be sociable. Take your kids out every now and then to interact with people and also their peers. Don’t be too strict with them or else they might struggle to have a good relationship with other people and even their peers.
These are just a few values and norms that I believe parents should imbibe in their children. And this is my response to the Februaryinleo day 13 .
Thank you for reading through. ❤️