When it comes to our closest relationships, our values can help shape what it means to be a good husband, a good wife, a good parent, and a good sibling. Some examples of social behaviors many families care about include being a good listener, sharing, and showing empathy to others, along with a concern for their welfare. As part of child rearing and parenthood, we often teach our children that we want them to be “good.” Defining good behaviors and leading by example can go a long way toward making sure those values eventually become intrinsic in our children. Many times, these values guide the way we treat others and how we stand up for those who need help within society.
Taking responsibility for one’s actions is also typically considered a moral value. These morals continue to be refined through exposure to other moral compasses through spiritual training, school, popular culture, and social interaction with others. In a child’s early years, moral values are shaped primarily by the parents, siblings, and relatives. Moral values often define a core personal ethic that drives how a family–and each parent and child within that family – make their way in society, knowing the difference between “right” and “wrong.” General concepts like kindness, integrity, honesty, generosity, courage, patience, and justice can often be categorized as moral examples that a family may share. Family values help kids and young men and women make good choices because they have a set of beliefs to help guide them. Knowing what a family–both the nuclear family and extended family–values can help solidify bonds among family members. They represent the ways you want to live your family life, and they may have been passed down through multiple generations throughout the decades.
Ultimately, your family values will be specific to you and your family unit. Family Values: The Foundation of a Strong Family Knowledgeable and conscientious children will also be more likely to be respectful of others’ values and family norms. The more children know about their own family’s values, the better able they are to discuss them with others. Your family members will be exposed to many types of values through their friends, co-workers, teachers, and society in general. We continually pass down our values to the next generations, so it’s important to be clear about the things we care about and what we teach our children and grandchildren to care about as well. Children must be taught these values by our families, friends, and larger communities. Family values are always reflective of their times and environments, yet most cultures surprisingly share several common threads when it comes to basic values and morals. The traditional family values of the 1950s are very different from the traditional family values of a post-9-11 American society. Humans within societal relationships are constantly evolving, and the ideals and standards we care about continue to change over time. Values vary from household to household and society to society–and even from time period to time period throughout history. They are beliefs and ideas that are specific to your specific family life–and there’s no definitive, objective right or wrong. They help teach kids the difference between right and wrong. These family beliefs define what you think is important and what is good. No matter your definition of family, a set of family values provides a moral compass, clearly articulating the attitudes and meanings your family associates with living their lives.
Different families around the world value different ideals and beliefs, but most families can boil down their primary values to fitting within the following categories. These values define what is meaningful to your family-the beliefs and ideas that bind your family together. The term “family values” has become a popular phrase in recent years.