What values do you want to instill in your children?

Sweetie, I love your question. My daughter is now 34 years old and God did me proud. She is everything that I wanted her to be and more. She's beautiful, smart and has a husband just as wonderful. When people look at her now they think she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. In reality we could barely afford a plastic spoon. By the grace of God and hard work they have a nice life now.

These are the values I tried to instill in her: Put God first and all else will fall into place. The things in life that really matter have nothing to do with money. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Pay the people you owe first and live on what is left over. Give the people you work for an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. If you agree to work for them at whatever wage give them one hundred and ten percent. Be happy with what you've got and don't always be wanting more. You miss a lot of life's great joys by wanting more and appreciating it less.

Honey thank you for letting me tell you these things. It made me smile.

Huh? You are an atheist who goes to church. Isn't that like the vegan that occasionally eats a steak? As an atheist, I do not believe in "spiritual" values. There are morals, ethics and principles. There may be some philosophy at work, but they have nothing to do with anything supernatural. If you want to teach your child about god, then by all means do so, but do it in an ACADEMIC fashion. Explain why humans invented the various religious systems, what they are used for, etc. It is good to expose children to all aspects of humanity, including our delusional belief systems, as long as it is done academically, and not as a catechism. I suspect you are not really a true atheist if you feel the need to go to church, and maintain spiritual beliefs. Spirituality tends to be a less abrasive way of describing the remaining delusional aspects people keep after they abandon the parts of religion/god they don't like.

Well, my son is 31 & very successful. Of course the economy has changed how far he has been able to go with his career & he had to move to the other side of the country last year. When he was a superintendent the workers would tell me what a kind person he was. I raised him by what Jesus said 'love thy neighbor as thyself". We are not an specific religion. We are liberal so open to treated all the best we can with understanding. I was raised this way but I was not raised to treat myself as well as others. So this part is very important. We must take care of ourselves & not allow just anything to happen. I did not really care who was President until I saw so man people die. So now I speak out & make sure we have people who also care how others are treated. I think if you just live by that you have your priorities together. I value my family but like I said because of the economy my son is far away but I am seeing construction pick up & hope my son can come back to be near my husband & I again. My mother valued others but no her family we must value all people including ourselves.

Values they resist? CHEWING. Sounds weird, but my eldest likes to scarf her food down like a duck. I always remind her that she needs to "chew like a lady" (whatever the hell that means).

I think a lot of children are just taught to "clear the plate" because their are poor children in Uganda who would love to have the food they throw away & while that may be true, I don't want to guilt my child into over-filling herself so I also teach my children to listen to their stomach. If their tummy can tell them when they're hungry, it also tells them when they're full.

I know a lot of people here are putting MANNERS, KINDNESS, etc but those are not values my children "resist" so I thought I'd put something they do, as you requested. Oh, they are 2 & 4.

The values I try to instill in my children are Kindness!!! Don't let processions rule their happiness , give even when you have nothing else to give. The main one is LEARN , try and learn something new everyday, expand your mind to new opportunities , Respect yourself and you'll respect everything around you.

kids ages 5, 10

Army Core Values, because you can divert them to real life as well. LDRSHIP

Loyalty

Duty

Respect

Selfless Service

Honor

Integrity

Personal Courage

Also, fairness, kindness, some sternness, responsibility, tenderness, kind in heart, love and compassion.

I want my son to be compassionate, and understand there is so much more world out there then his comfy little circle.

I want him to be hardworking and motivated. I despise laziness and would be horrified if I raided a lazy child.

I want him to be able to manage money and be able to keep his own things picked up and respect others.

Tolerance to others beliefs & lifestyles (etc).

Fairness, politeness, "golden rule", and social conscience.

Harm none ideology and rules of Karma.

Simple honesty and respect.

If I get all these, I think I'm doing good!

p.s. I'm an atheist, but still live by a moral code that I'll pass on to my kids.

no age in particular for me its just whenever my child will be able to understand values or be able to interpret and demonstrate them. Those values hopefully will be:

Honesty, Sportsmanship, Respect (only earned).

I believe those fall into every facet of life.

*Respect Others

*Work Ethic

*Respect your Own Self

*Respect your own Property

*Education...

*Education + Salvation - Success

All these things should/must be installed in every child/ human being from birth- Life

This world would be a better place