7 values the youth of today lack Values are the rules we use to decide what is right and wrong, good and bad, real and true . They get passed down the generations, not by genes, but by patterns of care. For example, parents who steal tend to have offspring who do so too, or who believe stealing is acceptable or even admirable. However, not all children of thieving parents also thieve, and siblings differ in the extent to which they imitate their parents in this and all other respects. It is also the case that plenty of offspring of honest parents are dishonest. So the passing of values from parent to child is not simply a question of imitation or learning – it is also heavily affected by the manner in which parents communicate the values as part of the relationship with the child. Usually parents encourage offspring to be law-abiding, civil and sociable, and to do well at school. All these goals are infinitely more likely to be achieved if the child actually ...
