How To Teach Your Child To Be Trustworthy

Teaching children the important attribute of trustworthiness seems a very valuable proposition with children now-a-days being exposed to all kinds of pushes and pulls that make its cultivation difficult. We as parents want our children to be trustworthy and make the right decisions and want our children to come to us with their problems, but certain obstacles and peer pressure make it difficult.

It would be right to say that is the firm reliance on the integrity or ability of a person, with a trustworthy person being worthy of being trusted; trust is very essential between a child and the parent. Parents set the best example for this important attribute, with parents breaking the trust of their children by not living to the standards expected of them as caregivers, nurturers, teachers and providers.

It would be right to say that trustworthy parents keep their words to their children and also explain the circumstances when they are not able to keep up to the promises due to circumstances beyond their control.

Teaching our pre-school children to be trustworthy:
 One of the best ways to instill the attribute of trustworthiness in our pre-school children is start telling stories of trustworthiness to them; stories like The Boy Who Cried Wolf, The Berenstain Bears and the Truth and Tommy the Trustworthy Turtle convey this important attribute. Talking about the characters in these books will teach the young children all about being trustworthy.  
Parents like us need to emphasize to our children that it is good to be honest and keep up to promises. Next it is to be emphasized that they should follow rules, never be mean to anyone or take things that belong to someone else. Project the value of being trustworthy by asking them how they feel when someone is mean and dishonest with them.  

Teaching little older children to be trustworthy:

Teaching this important attribute of trustworthiness to older children is best done by emphasizing that trust is an essential aspect of a good relationship; children need to understand that when someone gives us his/her trust they are confident that we are honest and dependable. Being trustworthy conveys the powerful message that we are reliable, honest, good and caring person.

Parents need to spend quality time emphasizing to children that it is good to have a trustworthy family or friend. Taking older children for movies where there are trustworthy and dishonest characters would help explain the attribute and its importance.

Still older children could be taught that being trustworthy helped have more friends. It would help further to enumerate examples of your being trustworthy in childhood and praise your child for incidents where they have been dependable, honest and truthful.  

All this goes to great teaching about the important attribute of trustworthiness. 

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