FAMILY VALUES AND Relationship BOOKS
AND DVDS
Two of the most important influences in
your child's life are family and
friends. As a parent it is your
responsibility to instill strong family
values and guidance in helping your
children build healthy friendships.
Family values may be based solely on
ethics or also on religious values. In
either case, it is important for child
development as well as rational and
moral decision making. Friends and
friendships are vital to children's
healthy development. Although friendship
building skills are normally a natural
process, some kids need guidance.
A strong family possesses good family
values. A strong family is one that
loves, sustains, supports, educates and
nourishes the members throughout the
span of that family. Teaching family
values creates a foundation which allows
your kids to make healthy choices
throughout their lives. Some parents
discuss values such as integrity,
honesty, respect, caring, and
forgiveness. Teaching family values
requires that you become a role model to
your children as well as an educator.
When children are very young, parents
usually choose your child's friends for
them by setting up play days. Kids
usually believe a friend is another
child he or she is playing with at the
moment. As they become older they begin
to become aware that other children
might think differently than they do.
Then a friend becomes someone who does
things that please them. At about 6
years old, kids begin to understand the
reciprocal nature of friendship. Every
child is different, but there does seem
to be a process in learning how to be a
friend. Parents need to understand the
processes children take in building
healthy friendships and pass it on to
their children.
Friendships provide children with more than just fun playmates. Friendships help
children develop emotionally. Friendships and relationships help build social
skills such as communication, cooperation, and problem solving. They help
children discuss a problem, handle difference in opinion and compromise. It is
also important for your child's self-confidence and their ability to deal with
other people. In a nutshell, having friends help lay a framework of which their
entire lives will be based on.
Some of our educational books and videos address the fundamentals of family
values and friendships while others deal with more advanced problems and offer
solutions. Our Family and Friendships Resources Store has lots of books and
videos here to for your child to learn family values and make healthy
friendships!