The Most Important Skills and Values that Children Learn from their Parents - Essay Example

It can often be misunderstood what is viewed as a valuable asset concerning what we teach our children. There are many skills that parents are ableto teach their children, often unknowingly. One of the first things that children learn is the feeling of emotions. From the time they are born, children feel their mother’s love, touch, anger, hurt and any other emotions. They may not be able to understand them, but they can feel them. As they grow, parents teach their children how to speak their language and how to be understood.

For many, the first word that is uttered is dada or mama, as they are easy words to enunciate as well as watch their parent’s lips that make the sounds. Learning to speak is the beginning of the lifelong learning process that children go through. Parents have the responsibility to teach their children valuable life lessons. Parents teach their children the value of making and keeping a friend. In this case, the child needs to learn how to introduce themselves, speak calmly, ask them questions and discover another person’s interests.

In keeping a friend, often this will include having to say, “I’m sorry” or telling them “no” when their friend is wrong. This is extremely difficult for most children to do. Children need to be taught assertiveness over aggressiveness, so that they can communicate with others clearly and calmly. They can learn to negotiate, express themselves and learn to walk away from a bad situation if needed. It is the parents’ role to teach their child optimism. It is imperative that the parents teach their children how to think positive thoughts about themselves, know that they are trustworthy and dependable and have a bright future ahead of them.

One thing that is difficult for children to understand is the ability to see things from another’s perspective. This is vitally important to a child’s learning, however, so that they understand that other people do not see the world in the same way that they do. Young children likely will not understand this, but it is up to the parents to instill this skill. Parents also need to teach their children how to differentiate between emotions. Children need to learn which emotion they are feeling in order to do something to alleviate the issue.

Children also need to learn how to differentiate between others’ emotions as well, so that they understand how to handle a particular situation. The values that a parent teaches their children widely vary, but the basics are the same. Children sometimes cannot find the words to tell the truth, so they lie. Parents need to help their children find a way to be honest. Another value that is of importance is the insistence on children apologizing for bad behaviors towards another person. However, it is more important that the parent help their child identify why they acted in the way that they did in order to prevent it in the future.

Parents should always encourage their children to take on something that is a challenge, instead of always taking the easy road. Although a skill as well, teaching children to consider others’ feelings is a very valuable thing. Learning how to interact positively encourages considerate behaviors. Perhaps the most important value that parents teach their children is the value of love. Love is a feeling that everyone needs in their lives. Children are especially in need of affection, because although they naturally love as small children, it needs to be reaffirmed to continue.

“When our children feel free to express their love to us, we instill in them perhaps the greatest value of all” (parents.com, 2011). Works Cited Parents. “5 Values You Should Teach Your Child by Age Five.” Parents. Parents Mag., n.d. Web. 16 May, 2011.