Essay/Term paper: Instilling a child's values

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Position Papers

Instilling a Child"s Values

Some people think that a child learns only by what his or her parents teach them, while
others believe that a child is born with a set of values. In actuality, a child"s values are mostly
determined by the things they are taught by their parents. As parents, couples have many
responsibilities toward their child; the most important responsibility is teaching them good values
and judgement. A parent should behave as though they would want their child to behave, give
them justifiable discipline, and, at the same time, let the child be their own person.
As a child is growing up, he spends a very large part of his life with his parents. A child
learns by seeing what his parents do and mimicking it, so a parent"s job is very crucial to a child"s
acquisition of good morals. A parent must show the child the virtues of good judgement by
using good judgement in their own life. If a child witnesses an unethical act performed by his
parents, he will think that it is okay. The fact is that children who didn"t have good parents,
generally, don"t grow up into very respectable adults. The old saying goes: "Monkey see,
monkey do." It may sound like a cheap cliche, but there is a lot of truth to it.
While raising a child, a parent might find that sometimes the child is not learning the
morals that the parent is trying to instill in their child. In that case, a parent should discipline him.
Discipline shows the importance of values in a whole different way. When a child is punished for
something he or she did that was wrong, he or she learns not to do it in fear of being punished,
but after a while the child accepts the given value for what it is. Punishment can be done several
ways. Some deny their child of something such as: food, fun, attention, or television shows with
gigantic, purple dinosaurs. Other parents discipline in a more physical way: spanking. Some
believe spanking a child is wrong, but as long as it doesn"t get out of hand, it is last resort to
getting a point across. Good discipline can turn a animal-like child into a respectable, ethical
person.
Kids always yearn for freedom, and that is why a parent must be careful with how he
teaches values. If a child is pushed too far and too hard, he may rebel the values entirely or may
lose his identity. Though the parents have the obligation of instilling their child"s morals, they
must trust their child at times and let him learn some things for himself. Most children go through
a period where they feel a new sense of independence. This is the time when parents should let go
a little bit and trust the values that they have given him. In most cases, if the parents have done a
good job, the freedom will only enhance the importance of the child"s morals.
A parent"s job is never truly done, but setting by example, discipline, and freedom will
make the journey through parenthood much more enjoyable and rewarding. Most people really
love their parents, whether they admit it or not. Sometimes it may not show, but there is always a
little bit of love. This love is a child"s way of saying thanks to good, responsible parents.