Teaching Children Morality

Almost everyone agrees that children today face more threats to their psychological welfare than did children growing up a generation ago. Violence in schools, distressing and/or inappropriate images in films and on television, and the presence of Internet predators all contribute to feelings of fear and unease that children may manifest as apathy, anger, and rebellion. Writer Michele Borba, however, faces the crisis head-on in Building Moral Intelligence: The Seven Essential Virtues that Teach Kids to Do the Right Thing, published in 2001.

Borba first counsels adults to focus on instilling virtue instead of absorbing the negative statistics about child violence that saturate the media. Although these statistics are daunting, parents can fight back by raising moral children according to the seven virtues addressed in the book. Empathy, for one, helps children feel connected to others. Conscience and self-control ensure that they know what the right action is and how to avoid temptations to do otherwise. Respect fosters politeness, but more importantly, shows children that if they value others they will be valued in return. When children learn kindness, tolerance, and fairness, they understand that although we all hold different beliefs and values, we all deserve equal treatment.

According to Borba, empathy, conscience and self-control are the foundation on which the remaining four (respect, kindness, tolerance, and fairness) build. Pitfalls will pop up along the way; tolerance sometimes conflicts with conscience, particularly for those who are devoutly religious, and many children have difficulty mastering self-control. But if parents keep an open mind, actively participate in their children's lives, and teach by example, they can raise children capable of behaving virtuously in a troubled world.