Morals teaching to children/teenagers

[SpellAndShield]

Hardwired, perhaps. However knowing the difference between right and wrong isn't maybe the same thing as morality. There is religious morality for example and we all know how that can vary VERY widely. So this is taught along with things like prejudice.

 

No..respect isn't the only thing and I believe I mentioned kindness and thinking for oneself. Having compassion is something I try to teach mine. She recently went through a phase where it was always this, "I'm sorry" very abrupt and you go the feeling she was saying it just because the knew this was the thing to say, there was not true sense of regret. This is something that seems to happen at this age. Teenagers are very self absorbed and narcissistic.

 

But what is important to teach the children moral wise is often dictated by the morality itself. In some places religion would be the moral upbringing.

 

The most important thing though..regardless of whatever else parents have going in their lives...children MUST be the top priority. Until parents accept this responsibility above all ohters I fear things will be more of the same with today's youth.

 

Humans are self-absorbed and narcissistic in general, teenagers only slightly more so. Basic morality as conceived throughout our evolutionary history is independent of religion. Prohibitions not to murder or steal, these are part of our biology, but then again so is violence which can lead to these things. It's obvious that children should be the to priority; they are the carriers of our DNA and thus the sole objective purpose for our being on earth, ensuring that they survive to reproduce themselves and continue the chain of our DNA should always be the most important tast in the life of an adult.

[TheCalliton]

Morality is inherently built into homo sapiens. Studies have shown that even two year olds can distinguish between justice and injustice, right and wrong. It is a bio-chemica/neurological part of every human being, which can be furthered or pushed back by the environment. It is thus a myth that morals are 'taught' much as it is that children 'learn' a language. We are hardwired for both.

morality is NOT build into the human being

look at the ancient mauri warriors (bad spelling i think)

they saw killing as RIGHT and GOOD. To say that morality is inherent would be to say we all have a single code of ethics that we all follow! This is not the case, there would be one religion, one set of laws, one country, one language, one everything. Because we would all get along!

[SpellAndShield]

Morality is inherently built into homo sapiens. Studies have shown that even two year olds can distinguish between justice and injustice, right and wrong. It is a bio-chemica/neurological part of every human being, which can be furthered or pushed back by the environment. It is thus a myth that morals are 'taught' much as it is that children 'learn' a language. We are hardwired for both.

morality is NOT build into the human being

look at the ancient mauri warriors (bad spelling i think)

they saw killing as RIGHT and GOOD. To say that morality is inherent would be to say we all have a single code of ethics that we all follow! This is not the case, there would be one religion, one set of laws, one country, one language, one everything. Because we would all get along!

 

I doubt they saw killing their own tribal members as good; all morality is there to serve group/tribe cohesion and what is extended to the in-group is rarely extended to the out-group. Morality is universal in the sense that we are all hardwired with it but its application is not universal.

Edited February 10, 2011 by Stardusk

[Lisnpuppy]

I think we all may be weaving from the intended topic here. :thumbsup:

[marharth]

I believe quite a few morals are built into humans, and some don't need to be taught

 

Looking at it through a evolutionary view morals make all the sense in the world.

 

It is better to team up with others and help out, then kill/hurt/steal from others. It would have built a trust system and increased chances of survival. It would have made it so most of man wouldn't be its own predator.

 

I would like to think morals are already there for the most part, some might be changed from life experiences and others might need to be taught, but for the most part humans understand morals as a whole without the need for much help.

[grannywils]

Great topic Silver. I'm so glad that you posted it. I'm going to substitute the word "values" for "morals", however. Don't know why, but for some reason, sometimes when I hear the word morals used it tends to have too many different conotations for us all to agree.

 

Values are fairly easy to understand, at least for my simple mind. So, here goes. When you talk about "teaching values to young children and teenagers, I think that you ask the impossible. But I think that you, Silver, already know that.

 

For me, the best that we can do is to define our values to ourselves and live them on a daily basis openly and honestly, right out there in front of our children and young people and the world and everyone, even when it is not easy. We need to respect ourselves first, and then show our children respect if we want to receive it in return. The only way they can learn it is to see it and to receive it.

 

Where do you think their peers are learning it? From other individuals. We are all people. People are creating these videos, movies, media sources that "they" are all subjected to. If we as people, i.e. one individual at a time, do not take the time to be "moral" individuals who choose to live our values every day and espouse them unashamedly, then we have no right to expect our children or anyone else for that matter to "get the picture".

 

Right now many claim that violence and sex sell So that's what is being sold to our young people. And many of our young people are lapping it up, as it is cool. But as pointed out by a parent who does not buy into that particular BS, LisnPuppy, it only sells if you are willing to buy it and willing to allow your children to think that it is the only game out there. Parents who believe their children are important enough to be given and shown choices, somehow find the time to give them the guidance that they need to make their own way but to do it with thoughtfulness and with the backing and support of someone who respects them enough and loves them enough to give them the freedom they need to become their own person, but also provide rules and guidelines by which they need to live until they have reached a certain maturity to go their own way. Children need and expect that. As, LisnPuppy also pointed out, they need their parents to be parents not best buddies. Look up the definition in the dictionary.

 

Most of you already know that I am a very liberal thinking person. However that does not mean that I believe that anything goes. I am appalled at some of what I see in the media. It amazes me to see how far we have come in debasing ourselves as a society in the media, at least in the US, and not just with respect to pop culture either. Try to find a decent news program anymore. I cannot speak for other countries.

 

To finalize, Silver, a child who is open and curious should be applauded and not shunned. Your post in another thread regarding Toplessness moved me greatly. That child had it right. The parents had it wrong. The person with the injured hand had it right. The parents had it wrong. Plain and simple.