Edmonton Children Counselling
Family Values in Children
Edmonton Children Counselling; Having a child is a huge responsibility. Not only do you have to care for your child’s physical and emotional needs, but you also develop values. Values are ideas that we, as humans, hold on to. They are our moral code, which determines what is “right” and “wrong.” As parents, it is essential that you can develop family values in your child. However, with competing influences from society and the environment, this can prove to be a challenge. Parents often feel out of control when it comes to passing on ethical values to their children. They feel incapable of making the child see their points of view. The core of the problem, however, lies in a lack of crucial communication skills. When you visit Edmonton Counselling Services, I can help you understand how to communicate your values with your kids.
What core values should I teach my children?
You should teach core values to your children by the time they are five years old.
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Honesty
Children do not have a clear idea of right and wrong. For them, the rightness or wrongness of action stems from the punishment or reward they receive. Consequently, they may try to avoid getting a penalty by lying. While this may not seem like a big deal at young ages, continued lying can be problematic. Teach your children that you value honesty. They should be punished for misdeeds; however, you should let them know that you appreciate their honesty. This can help them take responsibility for their actions and learn about work and consequence. At Edmonton Counselling Services, a therapist can help you find ways to teach the value of honesty in your children. Through worksheets and exercises, I can help you manage lying kids and help them understand the importance of honesty.
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Justice
While most parents do teach their children to think about why their actions are wrong, it isn’t enough. Children do need to understand their effects in terms of what they mean to others. However, they also need to learn that simply saying sorry isn’t enough. Children should be taught to take action towards remedying a wrong. For example, if your child is bullying someone else, they shouldn’t just say sorry and get away with it. You can ask them to share their favorite toy or make something beautiful for them as a way to repent for their actions.
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Empathy
Empathy is the ability to put oneself in other’s shoes. In our current day and age, people are unable to feel empathy towards others. This can lead to an inability to accept differences and, consequently, adjustment issues in the future. Teaching your child empathy requires a lot of changes in interaction patterns between parents and children. In many cases, it may require adjustment in the parents themselves. If you are unsure of how to teach your kids empathy, visit me at Edmonton Counsellors. With a focus on behavior modification, I can help you model empathetic behavior for your children.
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Rituals and tradition
The inculcation of rituals and traditions depend upon the interaction patterns you and others in the home follow. For your child to respect and honor your rituals and traditions, you must teach your child the same. By spending quality time with your children, you can teach them the value of rituals and traditions.
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Adjustment
Your child will have to learn to adjust to his/her environment wherever they go. Thus, it can be a good idea to teach them early on meaningful interaction patterns. You should focus on teaching them how to share and mediate arguments and frustrations.
At Edmonton Counselling Services, I can help new mothers with critical skills to help teach your children values. This can aid in their holistic development and maturation into responsible, well-adjusted adults.
