What Are Moral Values? Must Know Morality Facts For Children!

Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Feb 19, 2024 By Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Originally Published on Nov 24, 2021
Edited by Lara Simpson
Fact-checked by Niyati Parab
Children toddlers girls play toys at home.
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 7.8 Min

Moral values can be described as a foundation upon which our principles are based, which essentially mold a person.

However, there are several other descriptions of moral values, but it primarily revolves around integrity, commitment, loyalty, honesty, and many other personal values. We come across various stories and fables associated with morals as a kid, and as we grow, these values grow with us and form our fundamental virtue.

We regularly come across many circumstances where we need to exercise our ability to choose or judge between right and wrong. How do we decide that?

What makes us differentiate right from wrong? This is where the concept of moral value arises.

Nevertheless, the morals that eventually guide us to choose the correct path depend on numerous facets. Society, religion, upbringing, and many other factors have a key role behind a person’s values.

There are various dimensions to this as there are some personal values that may be accepted in one religion or culture but vary in others. Still, the basic set of principles or ideas such as kindness, showing compassion, responsibility, honesty, integrity, tenderness, justice, and respect remains common and the most important values.

Prominent examples include how honesty and selflessness are prioritized more than any other values in Islam. In the Bhagavad Gita, dedication and determination to the spiritual life are the core values.

The Catholic values encompass seven major themes such as rights and responsibilities and more. However, moral values are frequently confused with ethics. Ethics can be described as a subjective phenomenon and depends mainly on the codes of conduct and circumstances where moral values are more of a guiding principle.

Nevertheless, as much as society, surrounding, religion is crucial, the role and teaching of adults to children is equally important. A child is first exposed to their parents before being exposed to society; therefore, the child learns and absorbs a lot from the family or parents.

The perception of good-evil, justice, kindness, honesty, and responsibility is mainly incorporated in a child’s behavior by the parents.

Thus teaching children from a very early age is good for better self-control in their own life. Several ways will enable the adults to integrate the values in children, such as practicing the values that the parent is trying to teach and others discussed below.

Moral values bind the community, and it distinguishes the wrong from the right. It strives to conserve order and unity in the society that we live in.

A person’s behavior matters supremely, and it is shaped by the teachings and surroundings. Without morals, a society may collapse and turn into anarchy. Children are the building blocks and the future so teaching them early is necessary.

Further in this article, one may learn more about moral values, their effect, examples, and various methods to teach children more about it and its significance. Therefore keep reading this article as more facts are stated below. If you like this article, then check our other articles on shape poems for kids and moon in different languages.

What are moral values?

Before defining moral values, let us understand the meaning of two words that it is made of. The term is composed of’ moral’ and ‘values.’ Moral refers to the dogmas of behavior, whether it is wrong or wrong, a basic set of principles.

At the same time, values refer to what people care about and become the foundation of justice.

Values are present in everything as it affects our decision-making ability. Thus moral values can be described as goals, practices, and habits that are socially acceptable and is beneficial to the community.

There are many types of values, including personal values, social values, gender, race, and cultural values, and each has its dimension and distinct aspects influence these values.

Similar moral values include the sense of loyalty towards our own family and to others, our understanding of a situation when we see someone treated poorly, the intense anger towards wrong, the guilt we feel after doing something wrong, and admiring and encouraging the good in others are some of the primary examples of its aspects.

There are many moral values, and only education is not sufficient to teach everything in life. There is no use in learning morals and not implementing them in your own life.

Introducing moral lessons to children and practicing them eventually becomes the pillar of their personality.

Therefore one of the earliest morals that is usually encouraged and cultivated when we are young is honesty so that we will hopefully learn to choose the path of truth under any circumstances.

Other important morals include justice so that we will raise our voice and fight for ourselves and others, and respect for both ourselves, our parents, and everyone. Being kind to self and others and not hurting them, compromising, and adjusting in different circumstances is necessary because life is never going to be smooth always.

How do your moral values affect your sense of ethics?

Ethics can be morals and are frequently used interchangeably as both of them are related to the notion of right or wrong for a person. However, they differ from each other, although they are co-dependent as our moral values affect our sense of ethics.

Moral values are based on ethics; even philosophers like Aristotle have supported the view that is discussed below. However, ethics is primarily a structure of moral philosophies that enables us to distinguish right from wrong.

Additionally, it refers to those criteria that abstain from wrongdoings such as killing, murder, killing, telling lies, and others. It upholds virtues like honest behavior, loyalty, compassion. Ethics are well-grounded on moral values, but the ethics of a society can alter.

Moral values can help give us a better understanding of ethics. What seems ethical in one part of the world may not seem ethical in other parts, but the instilled moral values will enable one to make the correct choice.

Asian family with two children walking on the pedestrian bridge.

How To Teach Moral Values To Kids

There are numerous methods to teach moral values to kids, and some are discussed below. However, teaching them from a very early age is essential as the mind of children can absorb more.

They tend to learn a lot from adults; therefore, teaching them and practicing good moral values in the presence of a child is beneficial. The primary sources could be fables or moral stories or even your own experience or showing them cartoons or movies that have a lesson.

As moral values form a person’s core character, it gives a direction to life; therefore, it is essential to teach kids about moral value even before they start schooling. School is the right place where children can learn more about moral values, but it must start from home.

Many people have never been to any school but still have moral values. There are various methods of teaching children about the importance of moral values.

A child looks up to its parent initially; hence, becoming your child’s role model is one of the first steps. Be kind, polite, and helpful towards others so that your child can learn the same thing.

Give your child the opportunity to help others and see how they react when somebody around them is in need to help. Rewarding them for their excellent behavior can encourage them.

Tell your child about your own personal experiences and other family stories that involve moral values. Various short stories and fables are available for you to read to your child as they are usually very enthusiastic about bedtime stories.

Presently, media is an integral part of life, and besides stories books, there are movies and cartoons that children can watch. Spending more quality time with children enables them to learn more from you. Explain to them about the right and wrongdoings and, most importantly, present them with the truth.

What’s an example of a moral value?

Moral values are extensive and have several examples such as integrity, kindness, fairness, self-respect, truth, courage, freedom, commitment, loyalty, honesty, politeness, self-confidence, and many more. Thus it is hard to choose one example of moral value as all the values are equally important. However, kindness is one such significant value.

A person must contain all the virtues that will enable them to choose the correct path in life. Only education is not enough as it is not apparent that an uneducated person may lack moral values.

Kindness is a virtue that must be present in all human beings, and it is beyond the limitations of just being nice to other people. This practice of kindness should be administered from a very tender age.

The importance of kindness is manifold as it is like a continuous chain. Kindness is considered a moral value because it navigates ethical decisions. And it is not just about being kind to others; it is also about being kind to self.

The acts of kindness may include helping others without any expectations. Children are easily influenced by adults; therefore, they should also practice kindness so that children can follow.

Kindness also enhances empathy, compassion, and self-confidence in a person. Thus kindness is a prominent moral value example.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for what are moral values? must know morality facts for children!

then why not take a look at is watermelon a fruit or a vegetable? juicy fruit facts revealed! or kid superheroes fun facts: here’s all about characters that kids love!

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Written by Rajnandini Roychoudhury

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

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Rajnandini RoychoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

With a Master of Arts in English, Rajnandini has pursued her passion for the arts and has become an experienced content writer. She has worked with companies such as Writer's Zone and has had her writing skills recognized by publications such as The Telegraph. Rajnandini is also trilingual and enjoys various hobbies such as music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading classic British literature. 

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Fact-checked by Niyati Parab

Bachelor of Commerce

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Niyati ParabBachelor of Commerce

With a background in digital marketing, Niyati brings her expertise to ensure accuracy and authenticity in every piece of content. She has previously written articles for MuseumFacts, a history web magazine, while also handling its digital marketing. In addition to her marketing skills, Niyati is fluent in six languages and has a Commerce degree from Savitribai Phule Pune University. She has also been recognized for her public speaking abilities, holding the position of Vice President of Education at the Toastmasters Club of Pune, where she won several awards and represented the club in writing and speech contests at the area level.

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