Family Morals – Purpose of rules, Effects, and Moral Development

Family Morals

Family morals are the values, principles, and beliefs of family members about what is right and what is evil, fair, and wrong.

Without a moral justification for right and wrong, adult children may not understand boundaries and make the right decisions.

The discipline originated from the Latin word for disciple, which means to teach and guide.

The basis of teaching discipline to children is to identify several values and family values.

How Morals are Developed?

1. Parents: Parents are the primary source of a child’s moral development.
2. Extended family:  Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other family members play a role in building morale.
3. Brothers: Older brothers are also the source of moral development.
4. School: Children spend the first 18 years learning from other adults in kindergartens, preschools, and public schools. Education strongly affects the development of children’s morale.
5. A peer group is made up of your children’s friends. Resistance to peer pressure is the ultimate proof of respect for children’s morals.
6. Mass media: Parents need to observe what their children see on TV, movies, video games, music, and the Internet.
7. Church: Religious education can play an essential role in developing children’s morale.

Why do children do wrong?

• Knowing right from evil is not enough to do good from evil.
• For morality to work, it must have value, family value.
• ALL family members must practice what they preach; otherwise, the words mean nothing.
• If caring and affection for others are family morality, and parents shape disrespect and violence towards each other and their children, the character has no value.
• Care and respect will not become part of their children’s lives.

Purpose of family rules

• Family rules apply to ALL family members!
• It is a set of do’s and don’ts that guide moral and family values.
• The purpose of family rules is for parents and children to establish consistent guidelines to help everyone learn.
• Firstly, it encourages family members to take responsibility for their behavior and contribute to their development.
• Secondly, it teaches cooperation and makes a living together much more enjoyable.
• It also helps ensure that all family members are involved in how the family works and acceptable behavior standards.
• However, family rules are developed by all family members, apply to all family members, and regularly review to determine how well the family follows them.

Effects of family rules

• Family rules affect everyone. So, if a grandparent plays an active parenting role, should involve them too.
• Family rules include doing’s and don’ts. What to do, let the children learn the right behavior. Don’t let children know what normal behavior is NOT.
• It is a design to encourage and reinforce desired behaviors
• Family rules help children learn good behavior through the parenting model
• In family rules, everyone is legal.

How to establish family rules

• Invite Everyone to Attend, ask all family members to sit at the table. Let small children be present, even if they cannot contribute.

1. Share problematic behaviors

• Encourage everyone to share behaviors they think are a problem.
• Talk freely about the difficulties the family has to work. Avoid blaming or solving problems.

2. Example Take a large piece of paper and a magic marker.

• Draw a line in the center of the top of the paper. At the top of the column, write, “Do this.”
• At the top of the other column, write, “Don’t do this.”

3. Come up with a list of rules

• Ask the children to be active participants in the brainstorming rules.
• The goal is for parents to ask their children to develop some regulations they would like to see on the family list.
• Repeat this process until all the problems are resolved.

4. Keep the rules simple and specific

• Be specific when you formulate your rules. – For every “what not to do,” there should be “what not to do.” – Thus, you replace what you want with what you do not wish to.

5. Limit family rules to five or seven

• Keeping a shortlist will help children remember the rules and apply them. Too many instructions are hard to remember

6. Determine the consequences and rewards for each rule

• For rules to matter, there must be consequences associated with each practice.
• When children want to misbehave, punishment should follow.
• And, when children choose to behave well, they should reward them.

7. Have family reunions regularly to review the rules

• The rules can not explicitly be specific. When the behavior is no longer a problem, throw a party to break the rules.
• The practice has now become a moral or value. When new issues arise, list them on the Dos and Don’ts.

Values of a Happy Family

• Love, respect, empathy, honesty, autonomy, and forgiveness are the core values that any family needs to experience happiness.
• In today’s globalized world, where technology and social media are setting trends, values education has not gone out of fashion.
• Quite the contrary. The values of a happy family remain the best way to build a better world.
• Values are those principles that promote peaceful coexistence. At least, that is what it should be.
• Indeed, children’s education with happy family values guarantees that the future marks carelessness by violence, fear, or even uncertainty.

Moral development of children

• From an early age, the baby begins its moral development.
• His family and future friends will condition the orientations and habits that the child will infuse to know the society’s rules of which he is a part.

Keys to moral development in children

• As we have seen, children’s moral development is part of a process that begins from the age of six months.
• For it to take place, the parents and close family circle must get involved with the child.
• They must teach essential values that will facilitate their integration into society.
• In this regard, there are several keys that parents and teachers must put into practice to ensure that their children develop optimal morale:
• It is necessary to teach the rules and norms of behavior both at home and in a more open environment.
• The child can assimilate the teachings well. It is essential to explain to him why the rules exist.
• Learning should be encouraged by example. It is not enough for parents to talk to their children and tell them what is right or wrong.
• Leading by example is also necessary. Indeed, it is the most potent form of learning that exists.
• It is also essential for parents to remember that it is not easy for children to understand concepts such as compassion, respect, and tolerance.
• Therefore, it is essential to teach them these values through practice and example.
• The family environment should also focus on using praise that positively reinforces what the child is doing well.
• However, they also need to understand that actions have repercussions.
• Indeed, they must realize that the consequences are among the best ways to develop a healthy morality.

Also Read: Effects of Covid-19 – Consequences on families, development of toddlers

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