Prof Dr Md Mahmudul Hassan :
Moral values in parenting techniques such as kindness, humility, courage and compassion form the character of a child known at an early age. It forms the core of their being and becomes the basis of their moral beliefs. These values build children up the way parents want them to look.
The teaching of moral values helps children to tell right from wrong. When children do not get good parenting education, there is a tendency for children to commit new crimes.
As a result of good parenting, teaching moral values changes children’s perceptions of the world. If children can tell wrong from right, they can tell similarly right from wrong; all such needs, is good parenting. It helps to build their perception of the world. The child who has a strong moral compass and when he sees something wrong happening, will not only stand idly by but will take effective measures to correct it in whatever way he can.
Moral values in parenting style give children instruction about future behaviors. A famous quote from the Christian Bible says; “Train a child the way he should, and when he grows up, he will not deviate from it.” (Proverbs 22:26). Good parenting is also important in Islam to make children ideal human beings. It’s a reminder that the values we teach children today, will determine how they behave as adults.
Moral values in good parenting help to keep classmates, friends or peers free from bad influences. Children and adolescents are usually influenced by their friends. Children prefer to imitate each other in dress, manners, fashion and behaviour. Therefore, in order to protect oneself from any misconceptions, one has to teach moral values to the children from childhood.
If children are not taught the right values at the beginning of life, they may face difficult problems in real life. When they get moral lessons in parenting techniques, they are easily able to deal with difficult situations. Depression is one of the most pressing concerns our young people face today. Stressful situations can put some of them in a crisis and it can be even more serious for children, especially those who have not had good parenting in their life. Teaching children to distinguish between good and bad and to call evil as evil is an important aspect of moral values.
Moral values boost confidence in children. Doing ‘good’ helps children to feel good about themselves. For example, when they volunteer in an activity or can help the poor and needy, a different feeling of happiness works in them. This joy helps them to gain confidence which is possible only because of good parenting.
Teaching children moral values helps them think about others. They prefer to work from their own interests for the interests of others. At the young age, they can be inspired by a sense of responsibility. They have a lot of responsibilities to the society; they understand what they have to do for their classmates, colleagues and neighbours only when moral values are awakened in them, which is possible only through good parenting. For the latter, they are taught to sacrifice their own interests for moral values.
The teaching of children’s moral values in parenting style awakens religious passions, feelings, consciousness etc. and evokes equal dignity with non-sectarian thinking towards all religions. It helps to guide oneself in one’s religion. They should be inspired to keep themselves free from bigotry, religious violence, and superstition about religion.
(Dr Md Mahmudul Hassan is Principal, Daffodil International
School, Dhaka).
