In the hush and rush of everyday life We often do not take the time to teach and reinforce the important stuff to the kids.

One of those things is the topic of morals. How do you teach a child good morals? In my search for a good answer I turned to my inner self. I asked myself what are my moral values and how do I convey them to my children. Without pushing.

From "10 Tips To Raising Moral Kids" by Michele Borba, Ed.D. on her web page: http://www.micheleborba.com/Pages/ArtBMI13.htm

Be a Strong Moral Example
Parents are their children's first and most powerful moral teachers, so make sure the moral behaviors your kids are picking up from you are ones that you want them to copy. Try to make your life a living example of good moral behavior for your child to see. Each day ask yourself: "If my child had only my behavior to watch, what example would he catch?" The answer is often quite telling.

Know Your Beliefs & Share Them
Before you can raise a moral child, you must be clear about what believe. Take time to think through your values then share them regularly to your child explaining why you feel the way you do. After all, your child will be hearing endless messages that counter your beliefs, so it's essential the she hears about your moral standards. TV shows, movies, newspapers, and literature are filled with moral issues, so use them as opportunities to discuss your beliefs with your child.

She has a lot of information there on "using teaching moments" to express good moral behaviors. She even believes that you can implement them also in to your discipline plan.

What I liked best was when she listed the, "Seven Essential Virtues," which are: empathy, conscience, self-control, respect, kindness, tolerance, and fairness.

She states that "effective discipline is when a child not only recognizes when a behavior is wrong, but knows what to do to make it right." She encourages parents to use the unexpected teaching moments that arrive daily to demonstrate good morals.

The article suggests that we "incorporate the golden rule:" to treat others as you want to be treated, so that children learn to internalize their moral values and use them every day.

It is often said that a child with good morals is a reflection of good moral parents. I believe this is true. If you make kindness part of who you are, your children will learn to be kind. If you show respect for your children, your child will learn to respect you back and will respect others also. If you demonstrate self-control, then the child learns self-control.

With children who have not had quality teaching in their younger years. All these lessons will seem like strange actions to them, so it is important to teach by example.

Don't think it is going to be easy, because it is not. It will take tolerance and fairness with a strong dose of empathy for the kids to make a conscious effort to learn what morals are.

In life one of the most valuable lessons is how to conduct yourself in a respectful way in society. The lessons on life begin at home and will flow over into the personal world of each child.

Good Luck and Good Learning.

Hugs,
Shar