We all cling to our values and beliefs. This is what makes us so definable. We are without realising it passing on many values to our children all the time. It can be as simple as how you dress to whether tidiness is important in your family. Of course, there are more serious values such as racist viewpoints, and religious values. Political opinions etc can be a powerful statement of who you are and how you stand in the current world.

Little by little as you walk and talk with your child over the years your values are clearly laid out to them like a tapestry of life opinions. Every family has their own unique way of telling their story and passing on ideas and values to their children.

There is a challenge in this for us as parents. We may have strong values but are we open enough to talk to our children about the importance of respecting other values? They certainly will be exposed to this at school and as they mature they will begin to question and challenge even some of your most precious values.

The best way to ensure that your child understands your perspectives and is more likely to maintain valuing them is to be respectful of other's views and values.

Consider:

When your child talks about how other families value certain habits etc. be positive and say that everyone has opinions and chooses to make choices to live by. In my case, I prefer to live my way and this satisfies me.
If your child wants to talk about how other families do things differently, have an open conversation and listen to the opinions they are forming. Affirm their observation but gently state your values.
Discuss from time to time how values can differ and how having an open conversation about it is important.
Are you open to changing your values? Your child will grow and start to reflect on how they see their life forming. Sometimes this can challenge us to rethink our values and this can be a good thing. Here you show your child your open-mindedness and appetite to grow emotionally.
Talk about how in your friendship circle there may be people who share different values and yet you enjoy their company. Let your child know that you do not have a closed mind and you accept differences comfortably.
If you have values that you cherish, ensure that you consistently live by them as your child will respect you more when they see your consistency in living by your word. They will also look to see that such values actually make you happy.
The school you have chosen for your child will present their own set of values. Take care that you share them with your child so that they feel that they are in a safe and trusting environment valued by their parents. A child becomes confused when they see conflicting values between school and home.

Finally, your presence in the life of your child is a massive imprint on their mindset where your values are laid squarely in front of them to either adopt, modify or erase. As a parent show your tolerance and acceptance that values can vary and that people make choices that you may find unacceptable by your standards. By respecting their right to exist, your child will see you as a fair and reasonable person whose values just might be worth adopting for a lifetime, with some adaptation of course!

‘Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.’
Dalai Lama