When you speak of abuse with a mental health professional, they can tell you off the bat that the violence took place because the oppressor has psychological issues. It may be due to drugs, alcohol, jealousy, or exploitation that they experienced themselves as kids. The latter, however, can be one of the reasons why the abused continues to receive the violence too.
While it is undoubtedly a sensitive issue, there’s no better example of what can happen if the parents fail to shape up their babies’ character well than the one above. They won’t know what’s right or wrong, so they’re likely to commit grave mistakes and settle with erroneous decisions.
Trivia: “Authoritarian parents hold the belief that a child should do what they say simply because they said it.” – Christina Furnival, LPCC
To prevent your offspring from going down a similar dark path, know how to raise them with great morals below.
- Choose What They Watch
Childrearing experts recommend letting kids only watch age-appropriate movies and TV shows. That’s because the youngsters tend to copy whatever they often see, especially if they have no concept of good or evil yet.
You can make sure of that by playing videos that teach values to children all the time. In case they need to use the internet already for schoolwork, ascertain that they just turn on the computer when you or another adult is around to supervise them.
- Honor Their Questions About Morality
As the kids grow, it’s highly probable that they’ll throw inquiries regarding morals at you. “Why can’t I eat my friend’s food without asking first?” “Why should I share my toys with my siblings?”
If such questions come up, it’s vital to explain the reason to them openly. It isn’t alright to ignore the matter because they’re at an age wherein they need to hear something to understand something. Feel free to ask queries like “How would you feel if they take away your apples or your brother or sister won’t let you borrow their favorite toy?” to promote self-direction too.
Tip from Kathy Hardie-Williams, MEd, MS, NCC, LPC, LMFT: “Instead of outright lying, share stories of longstanding traditions and cultural heritage.”
- Never Make Them Feel Inferior
Being confident is among the morals that your children should also learn. It will enable them to gain new experiences and remain positive in life even in the face of obstacles.
Their self-esteem won’t deplete if you stay supportive of whatever they do. Rather than yelling when the youngsters create a disaster, talk to them as calmly as possible until they realize their wrongdoing. Cheer them on too for every challenge they tackle, regardless of how simple it may be.
According to Kyle S. King, LMFT, LCPC, “Parents are human beings, and as such we have a limited set of emotional reserves and resources, which can quickly become taxed by a raging or withdrawn teen.”
- Show Your Love Always
Assuming that acting rough around them will toughen the children up isn’t OK since that will merely make them do what you say out of fear. There are a thousand ways to encourage your kids to become great citizens, and showing your affection is on top of all that.
Once they feel your love, they will surely know how to offer love to others as well. Hence, they can also sympathize with anyone and form lasting relationships as they mature.
Raising children with high morals allows you to set them up for success. When they know what honesty, empathy, and responsibility look like from the start, that immediately lowers their chances of committing misconducts or violence in the future.