Why are family values important? In a highly individualistic society, where there is always a clash between traditional values vs modern values, do they hold any significance at all? To understand their importance and relevance it is necessary to know the role of family in society.
Modern family values might hugely differ in every household, but the fact still remains that family is the biggest support system for an individual. At the end of the day, good family values might be the difference between a healthy family dynamic and a dysfunctional one.
Those who hail from strong families usually tend to face challenging times better, purely on the strength of the emotional, physical, and even financial support they receive. When you have good family values, there’s a sense of shared responsibility. At the very least, you won’t feel on your own during times of crisis. Unfortunately, that has now become a luxury in the world we live in.
# Respecting eldersIt might sound strange especially for a society as diverse as that of the US or the UK but traditional Christian values of respecting elders are still ranked high among the list of top 10 family values. A conventional family consists of a man, woman, children, and grandparents, and loving and respecting your elders is expected out of children.
Of course, youngsters have a very strong voice and there always will be the traditional values vs modern values battle fought in every household. However, at the very basic level, disrespecting or arguing with elders is frowned upon.
# Having good etiquettes
In a study conducted in the UK among 2000 families a few years ago, it was found that despite modern family values taking over, some old-fashioned morals and teachings were still considered valuable. For instance, surprisingly around 76% of those surveyed said that having good table manners topped their family values.
“Nobody wants to see a child picking through a roast chicken dinner with their fingers or talking with their mouths full,” said the study. Table manners and etiquettes might seem a trivial thing but in families where they are insisted upon, it shows a certain level of discipline and politeness.
These small elements go a long way in refining your personality and polishing up your habits that leave a good impression on anyone you interact with in the future. Imagine if you’re meeting your partner’s parents for the first time, and you’re waving your utensils about, blowing on your food because your family never told you both those things are frowned upon, yikes!
# Spending Christmas and other festivals togetherIf ever there was a vote held among people to rank their top 10 family values in life, spending Christmas together would undoubtedly be number 1. Whatever be your equation with your family, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and a few other festivals are the occasions to forgive, forget and come together.
# Splitting choresThose who give importance to family ethics are also those who believe in principles like giving respect, working hard, being honest. These values are reflected in day-to-day activities like splitting chores between the husband and wife. In most homes, you can see that the family members are expected to chip in with the household chores.
So if dad clears the table, mom does the dishes and the kids make the bed. The objective here is to make every person take up some responsibility and become independent enough to take care of their own needs. Dealing with a husband who doesn’t do chores needs to be addressed as soon as possible since it might have a negative effect on the children.
# Giving to charity
Your sense of charity or inclination to take part in volunteering activities often reflects the family values that have been passed down to generations. Volunteering or giving to charity is a way to show that you care about society and believe in giving back to it.
Volunteering can take any form, either by being part of groups or being part of an animal shelter, or even working for the local church. It would be even better if you work together with your family on a project. These activities do not just foster a sense of togetherness, they help in creating a great bond between the members. More importantly, it makes you feel good about yourself and helps you connect with like-minded people.
# Being loyalWhen there is family, there are bound to be conflicts too. There might be differences of opinion, resentments, arguments, and petty squabbles. But what matters is that in the overall picture, you are loyal to the entire institution and practice healthy conflict resolution techniques.
If your family is under attack from an external force, strong family values will prevent you from leaving your near and dear ones alone even if they are not so dear to you at that moment. There is a reason why they say ‘blood is thicker than water’. Loyalty is also defined in personal relationships like marriage.