7 Morals for Kids That Are Absolutely Essential ...

Maybe you don’t care about everything. I mean, who does? But you do care about your kids and you do want them to grow up to care about important things when they’re adults. For example, I want my kids to care about the environment and to care about those in need, so I show them that I care about those things. As a parent, you are a very important factor in instilling morals for kids. Modeling a caring attitude is the easiest way to turn your kids into caring people.

I feel being thoughtful is an important moral for kids. I want my kids to think about the people they know and love, which motivates them to do thoughtful things for them. Someday my boys will be someone’s husband and father and I want them to be thoughtful of those people by learning to do nice things for those around them.

Honesty is one of the most important morals that I want my kids to learn. You’re likely the same, since no one likes a liar. It’s important to distinguish the difference between a tall tale and an outright lie. This moral isn’t always easy to model because, let’s face it, sometimes it’s easier to say you’re out of candy than to have a fight about whether or not your child can have a piece. If your child sees you being honest, chances are he’ll follow suit. So don’t just take home the shirt you forgot to pay for because you don’t want to go back in the store and stand in line again. You’ll be sorry if your little one is watching!

Your child likely trusts you to take care of her and meet all her needs. This is an easy way to teach her how to be trustworthy when she’s little. As she gets older, it can be a bit harder. It’s important for kids to follow through on promises they make and to be reliable and not cheat or steal. These actions can quickly label your child as untrustworthy, so it’s vital to teach your child that these things are unacceptable right from the start.

Nothing infuriates me more than people who refuse to take responsibility for their own actions. Like the guy who turned left into my car, completely wrecking it, then blaming it on me because I should have known he was going to turn. I kid you not. Teaching your child to take responsibility will take him a long way in life, whether it’s accepting the blame for a wrongdoing or putting his own dirty clothes in the laundry basket. Expect resistance and lots of reminders on this one, but you’ll both be sorry if you let it go.

Kids aren’t well known for their penchant to share. This is totally normal, but you can’t let your kids coast through life thinking only of themselves. Teach your child to give of his time and talents when possible so he learns that his actions can help those in need. Maybe he packs up unused toys and books for a local homeless shelter or he turns off the television to teach his little brother to play football. However he decides to give is great!

It’s hard to make and keep friends, get a great lifetime job or create a future romantic relationship if you’re not loyal. Teach your child that she can’t just ditch a friend if someone more popular wants to hang out. Instilling school spirit is a great way to teach loyalty because it shows your child how to keep her allegiance where it belongs. Staying loyal yourself is also a powerful way to model the behavior in your little ones.

What’s your top moral for your kids? I think the highest-ranking one for me changes as my kids grow and change, but one this is sure – they will grow up to be everything on this list!