Integrity

Raising kids with integrity means teaching them the importance of honesty, respect, and responsibility. It’s about instilling values that will help them become good citizens and successful adults. Show them the importance of being kind, compassionate, and understanding. 
 
Inspire them to stand up for what’s right and always do the right thing, even when it’s hard. With these values, your kids will be well on their way to a life of integrity.
 
Children need integrity in their lives to help them develop a solid moral foundation and create an understanding of right and wrong. When children understand the importance of integrity, they learn to act honestly and with good intentions, even when it may be difficult. 
 
Having integrity can help children make good decisions without succumbing to peer pressure. It can also promote positive relationships with family and friends. Integrity can also help children develop a sense of self-worth, which can carry into adulthood.
Parenting with integrity involves consistently exercising admirable ethical principles and being honest and truthful with children. It includes setting clear expectations and boundaries while respecting the autonomy of each individual. Parents should strive to be role models of integrity and foster an environment of trust and understanding.

Consistently enforcing consequences for children’s behaviour, being open and honest about mistakes, and letting them make their own decisions are all part of this process. It also involves being empathetic and supportive when children are struggling and providing positive reinforcement for good choices. Parenting with integrity helps to promote a strong and trusting relationship between parent and child.

When you talk to your child about integrity, you help them understand it is about honesty and doing the right things even when no one is looking. It means having an immovable sense of who you are and always doing your best, even when it’s hard. Integrity is about being trustworthy and following through on your promises. It’s about standing up for what you believe in and having respect for others. Integrity is crucial because it helps us build relationships with people we care about and helps us make good decisions.

As your child becomes a young adult, teenager it could include:
1. Refraining from participating in activities that could harm themselves or others, such as drugs, alcohol and gambling.
2. Honoring commitments and responsibilities, such as schoolwork and after-school jobs.
3. Practicing self-care and looking after their mental and physical health.
4. Showing respect for themselves and others, including peers, teachers, and family members.
5. Being honest about their feelings and thoughts.
6. Speaking up for their beliefs and advocating for change.
7. Taking responsibility for their actions and learning from their mistakes.
8. Staying true to their values and not letting themselves be influenced by peer pressure.

Integrity is a valuable quality to instil in children. As a result, they develop a strong moral compass, an understanding of accountability, and a desire to do the right thing. As parents, we can help our children learn about integrity by modelling it in our lives, setting clear expectations and enforcing consistent consequences. 

We should also talk to our children about their choices and help them understand why it is pivotal to act with integrity. Finally, we should be confident in providing positive reinforcement and praise when our children make the right decisions. 

With patience, consistency and support, parents can help their children learn to live with integrity, leading to a happier parenting experience.
Trish Corbett
info@ethicalfoundations.com.au

Trish is the author of 'How to Raise Kids With Integrity - for parents, childcare educators and teachers' and blogs about a characteristic each week so that the main role models in a child's life can help children grow with self-awareness and self-confidence so they can make a positive difference in their world by recognizing and acknowledging character qualities in themselves and others. This works for adults too! Try it - sign up for a weekly email.

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