Pike County Cooperative Extension

Tween Topics Menu| 2003 Tween Topics

you are here

Values are a reflection of who we are, of our culture and of our own unique heritage. Being clear about our values enables and empowers us to establish priorities and make decisions that we can live with and by. What we learn from our families in childhood builds character and serves us throughout our lives. Families guide personal growth and education, while offering love and protection. When families are strong, our neighborhood is strong, our nation is strong and we can be more hopeful about the future.

Values have influence at every stage of making a choice. Values shape what we believe and perceive. They influence our goals, the alternatives we select and the ranking of these alternatives.

WHAT ARE VALUES? Values are a part of our experience that affects our behavior. They encompass our attitudes, the standards for our actions and our beliefs. Values are often learned from family, culture and people around us. In addition, values tell others what is important to us and guide our decision making. We use our resources — time, money and brain power — on the things we value.

TWEENS REALLY NEED:

CHARACTERISTICS OF POSITIVE VALUES WITHIN FAMILIES
Many of our family ideals, beliefs, behaviors or “values” are merely habits of thinking or behaving. Sometimes this is because we do not know any other way or because we have not
stopped to think about the motives or reasons for the things we think, say or do. Identifying and communicating the values of the family can:

F	Be helpful in making personal decisions.
F	Become a guide for self-empowerment.
F	Help manage time, energy and resources to the fullest.
F	Help one to know oneself better.
F	Help eliminate some of the confusions in life.
F	Help formulate a desired system of values.
F	Help one to act or behave in accordance with their values.
F	Help one to better understand and respect others who have different values.
Values are critical in building character and increasing an overall sense of well-being. Positive values within families:
F	Promote honesty, integrity, commitment and loyalty.
F	Teach fairness and treating people equally.
F	Encourage respect for self and others and tolerance of differences.
F	Require being responsible and accountable for your actions, while practicing self-control.
F	Require consideration, kindness, compassion and generosity toward others.
F	Foster being a good citizen who appreciates doing things which make life better for self and for other people.

SUMMARY
Values are the important “internal compasses” that guide people in developing priorities and making choices. Although the internalization of values takes place over time, the groundwork is laid from the first day of life. The foundation of character building begins during infancy and slowly evolves through childhood and adolescence, all the while becoming more sophisticated and complex. People do not suddenly become honest and responsible when they become teenagers or adults. The development of these values is a long process that entails many interactions between children and adults.

What Do You Value?

Values are very important and personal. The point of this exercise is for you to determine what you actually value – not what you think you ought to value. Here are a list of values. Look them over and circle all that seem important to you. If something is important to you that you do not see on the list, write it down in the spaces provided at the bottom. Then try ranking your top five values in order of importance, 1 to 5. Ask all family members to complete this activity. Discuss your top five values. This will provide a forum to discuss common values within the family unit.

Look the list over and circle all the ones that seem important to you.
	Health	Commitment	Being Responsible
	Wealth	Helping Others	Status
	Beauty	Civic mindedness	Work
	Integrity	Freedom	Personal Growth
	Success	Recreation	Learning
	Happiness	Wisdom/Intelligence	Making Others Happy
	Family	Friendship	Being Loved
	Respect	Fairness	Family Vacations

Return to the Table of Contents or continue to the Introduction, Consistent Discipline, Structure, Role Models, Good Nutrition, Survival Skills, Money Skills, or Resistance Skills.

Penn State | College of Agricultural Sciences | Cooperative Extension & Outreach

This page last updated Tuesday, November 18, 2003

Copyright Information
This publication is available in alternative media on request.
Penn State is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity University.
This site is a product of Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences.
Please e-mail us with your questions, comments or suggestions at PikeExt@psu.edu.